Expression of IER3 in Primary Hepatocarcinoma: Correlation with Clinicopathological Parameters

Liu, Zhong,Wang, Xin-Mei,Jia, Tong-Fu,Zhai, Yi,Sun, Ling-Yan,Cheng, Yu-Ping,Zhang, Yue-Min,Liu, Shi-Hai,Liang, Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.2

Background: Studies indicate the immediate early response gene 3 (IER3) is involved in many biological processes. Recently, it was discovered that IER3 plays an important role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Thus it may be a valuable biomarker in tumor. This study was designed to investigate the expression status of IER3 in primary hepatocarcinoma (PHC) and correlation with clinicopathological parameters. Materials and Methods: Real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the expression levels of IER3 in 62 pathologically diagnosed human PHC specimens. Results: A statistically significant association was disclosed between the expression of IER3 and P53 mutant protein (short for P53), Ki-67, EGFR and the biggest diameter, differentiation grade of tumor. Conclusions: This work is the first to shed light on the potential clinical usefulness of IER3, as an efficient tumor biomarker in PHC.

A Study of the Mechanism of Solid-Particle Enhanced Nucleate Boiling Heat Transfer at a Flat Heating Surface

Zhong Liang Liu,Ming Heng Shi,Guo Sheng Dai 대한기계학회 1998 Heat transter conference Vol.5 No.1

The Clinical Characteristic and Management of Patients with Nocardiosis in a Tertiary Hospital in China

Liu Peilin,Wang Zhiqian,Jian Zijuan,Liu Xuan,Li Yanming,Yan Qun,Zhong Baiyun,Liao Mengting,Liang Xianghui,Liu Wenen 한국미생물·생명공학회 2023 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.33 No.5

Nocardiosis is an uncommon opportunistic bacterial infection which becomes a significant health problem due to its increasing incidence and high mortality rate. However, many nocardiosis patients are underdiagnosed by physicians. To summarize the clinical characteristics and management of nocardiosis would help with better diagnosis and prognosis of nocardiosis. This retrospective study was conducted based on the medical records of nocardiosis patients between January 2015 and December 2021 in a tertiary hospital in China. Overall, 44 nocardiosis patients with 54 specimens were included. The patients consisted of 26 males and 18 females with a mean age of 50.4 ± 13.2 years. Among 44 patients, 26 (59.1%) were previously given immunosuppressive therapy. Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) were the most common underlying disease (16/44). The most frequent infection sites were the lungs (17/44) and skin or soft tissues (8/44). Common symptoms included cough (23/44), expectoration (18/44), fever (15/44), and subcutaneous abscesses (15/44). Forty-five out of 54 specimens (83.3%) required over 48 hours of culture time for nocardiosis detection. Thirty-six patients were cured or improved, 5 patients were discharged from the hospital due to poor prognosis, and 1 patient died. The average diagnosis time of poor prognosis cases was 19.7 days, which was significantly longer than those of improved or cured patients (7.3 days). Immunosuppressed patients comprise a large part of nocardiosis cases, which is worth attention in clinical practice. Early diagnosis, specifically through prolonged cultivation time of specimen, could help achieve better prognosis of nocardiosis patients.

Biphasic effects of TGFβ1 on BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

( Rui Dong Li ),( Zhong Liang Deng ),( Ning Hu ),( Xi Liang ),( Bo Liu ),( Jin Yong Luo ),( Liang Chen ),( Liang Jun Yin ),( Xiao Ji Luo ),( Wei Shui ),( Tong Chuan He ),( Wei Huang ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2012 BMB Reports Vol.45 No.9

We have found that the previously uncharacterized bone morphogenetic protein-9 (BMP9) is one of the most osteogenic factors. However, it is unclear if BMP9 cross-talks with TGFβ1 during osteogenic differentiation. Using the recombinant BMP9 adenovirus, we find that low concentration of rhTGFβ1 synergistically induces alkaline phosphatase activity in BMP9-transduced C3H10T1/2 cells and produces more pronounced matrix mineralization. However, higher concentrations of TGFβ1 inhibit BMP9-induced osteogenic activity. Real-time PCR and Western blotting indicate that BMP9 in combination with low dose of TGFβ1 potentiates the expression of later osteogenic markers osteopontin, osteocalcin and collagen type 1 (COL1a2), while higher concentrations of TGFβ1 decrease the expression of osteopontin and osteocalcin but not COL1a2. Cell cycle analysis reveals that TGFβ1 inhibits C3H10T1/2 proliferation in BMP9-induced osteogenesis and restricts the cells in G0/G1 phase. Our findings strongly suggest that TGFβ1 may exert a biphasic effect on BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. [BMB Reports 2012; 45(9): 509-514]

Thylakoid-Bound Polysomes and a Dynamin-Related Protein, FZL, Mediate Critical Stages of the Linear Chloroplast Biogenesis Program in Greening Arabidopsis Cotyledons

Liang, Zizhen,Zhu, Ning,Mai, Keith K.,Liu, Zhongyuna,Tzeng, David,Osteryoung, Katherine W.,Zhong, Silin,Staehelin, L. Andrew,Kang, Byung-Ho American Society of Plant Biologists 2018 The Plant cell Vol.30 No.7

<P>Electron tomography, immunoblot, immunolabeling, and RNA-seq analyses of thylakoid assembly in germinating Arabidopsis revealed five structural assembly stages and the sequential incorporation of photosystem II, cytochrome <I>b<SUB>6</SUB>f</I>, ATP synthase, light-harvesting complex II, photosystem I, and CURT1A subunits within 84 h after imbibition.</P><P>Biogenesis of the complex 3D architecture of plant thylakoids remains an unsolved problem. Here, we analyzed this process in chloroplasts of germinating <I>Arabidopsis thaliana</I> cotyledons using 3D electron microscopy and gene expression analyses of chloroplast proteins. Our study identified a linear developmental sequence with five assembly stages: tubulo-vesicular prothylakoids (24 h after imbibition [HAI]), sheet-like pregranal thylakoids that develop from the prothylakoids (36 HAI), proliferation of pro-grana stacks with wide tubular connections to the originating pregrana thylakoids (60 HAI), structural differentiation of pro-grana stacks and expanded stroma thylakoids (84 HAI), and conversion of the pro-grana stacks into mature grana stacks (120 HAI). Development of the planar pregranal thylakoids and the pro-grana membrane stacks coincides with the appearance of thylakoid-bound polysomes and photosystem II complex subunits at 36 HAI. ATP synthase, cytochrome <I>b<SUB>6</SUB>f</I>, and light-harvesting complex II proteins are detected at 60 HAI, while PSI proteins and the curvature-inducing CURT1A protein appear at 84 HAI. If stromal ribosome biogenesis is delayed, prothylakoids accumulate until stromal ribosomes are produced, and grana-forming thylakoids develop after polysomes bind to the thylakoid membranes. In <I>fzo-like</I> (<I>fzl</I>) mutants, in which thylakoid organization is perturbed, pro-grana stacks in cotyledons form discrete, spiral membrane compartments instead of organelle-wide membrane networks, suggesting that FZL is involved in fusing membrane compartments together. Our data demonstrate that the assembly of thylakoid protein complexes, CURT1 proteins, and FZL proteins mediate distinct and critical steps in thylakoid biogenesis.</P>

[ $C^1$ ] Continuous Piecewise Rational Re-parameterization

Liang, Xiuxia,Zhang, Caiming,Zhong, Li,Liu, Yi Society for Computational Design and Engineering 2006 International Journal of CAD/CAM Vol.6 No.1

A new method to obtain explicit re-parameterization that preserves the curve degree and parametric domain is presented in this paper. The re-parameterization brings a curve very close to the arc length parameterization under $L_2$ norm but with less segmentation. The re-parameterization functions we used are $C^1$ continuous piecewise rational linear functions, which provide more flexibility and can be easily identified by solving a quadratic equation. Based on the outstanding performance of Mobius transformation on modifying pieces with monotonic parametric speed, we first create a partition of the original curve, in which the parametric speed of each segment is of monotonic variation. The values of new parameters corresponding to the subdivision points are specified a priori as the ratio of its cumulative arc length and its total arc length. $C^1$ continuity conditions are imposed to each segment, thus, with respect to the new parameters, the objective function is linear and admits a closed-form optimization. Illustrative examples are also given to assess the performance of our new method.

Effect of an Antagonistic Peptide of CCR5 on the Expression of Autophagy-related Genes and β-Arrestin 2 in Lung Tissues of Asthmatic Mice

Liu Juan,Liang Rongrong,Huang Huarong,Zhang Yingli,Xie Aicen,Zhong Yingqiang 대한천식알레르기학회 2021 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.13 No.1

Purpose: The mechanisms of CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) in the process of autophagy remain unknown. In this study, we examined the role of HY peptide, which is an antagonistic peptide specifically binding the second extracellular loop of CCR5, in the expression of autophagy genes and β-arrestin 2 in lung tissues of asthmatic mice. Methods: Experimental asthmatic mice were treated with HY peptide and dexamethasone sodium phosphate (Dex). Airway inflammation, autophagy-related genes, autophagic vacuoles (AVs) and β-arrestin 2 were examined in lung tissues, and the correlation between β-arrestin 2 and LC3 expression was assessed. Results: HY peptide and Dex treatments alleviate airway inflammation. The expression of autophagy-related genes, such as BECN1, ATG5 and LC3, was decreased in the lung tissues of the asthmatic mice. However, HY peptide and Dex treatments increased the expression of these genes as well as the formation of AVs. Additionally, the expression of the β-arrestin 2 protein was significantly increased in the HY peptide-treated group, and positive cells expressing β-arrestin 2 were mainly located in the membrane and cytoplasm of bronchial epithelial cells. The β-arrestin 2 expression was positively correlated with the expression of LC3 in the model and HY peptide-treated groups. Conclusions: HY peptide inhibits airway inflammation, autophagic dysfunction exists in asthmatic mice, and targeting HY peptide increases the expression of autophagy-related genes. Thus, β-arrestin 2 may participate in the mechanisms underlying these processes.

Exploring differentially expressed genes related to metabolism by RNA-Seq in porcine embryonic fibroblast after insulin treatment

Yingjuan Liang,Jinpeng Wang,Xinyu Li,Shuang Wu,Chaoqian Jiang,Yue Wang,Xuechun Li,Zhong-Hua Liu,Yanshuang Mu 대한수의학회 2022 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.23 No.6

Background: Insulin regulates glucose homeostasis and has important effects on metabolism, cell growth, and differentiation. Depending on the cell type and physiological context, insulin signal has specific pathways and biological outcomes in different tissues and cells. For studying the signal pathway of insulin on glycolipid metabolism in porcine embryonic fibroblast (PEF), we used high-throughput sequencing to monitor gene expression patterns regulated by insulin. Objectives: The goal of our research was to see how insulin affected glucose and lipid metabolism in PEFs. Methods: We cultured the PEFs with the addition of insulin and sampled them at 0, 48, and 72 h for RNA-Seq analysis in triplicate for each time point. Results: At 48 and 72 h, 801 and 1,176 genes were differentially expressed, respectively. Of these, 272 up-regulated genes and 264 down-regulated genes were common to both time points. Gene Ontology analysis was used to annotate the functions of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), the biological processes related to lipid metabolism and cell cycle were dominant. And the DEGs were significantly enriched in interleukin-17 signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-protein kinase B signaling pathway, pyruvate metabolism, and others pathways related to lipid metabolism by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis. Conclusions: These results elucidate the transcriptomic response to insulin in PEF. The genes and pathways involved in the transcriptome mechanisms provide useful information for further research into the complicated molecular processes of insulin in PEF.

Leader-following Exponential Consensus of Discrete-time Multi-agent Systems with Time-varying Delay and Intermittent Communication

Shuang Liang,Zhong-Xin Liu,Zengqiang Chen 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2020 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.18 No.4

In this paper, the leader-following exponential consensus problem of discrete-time multi-agent systems with time-varying delay is investigated. For systems with interconnected topology being directed and mobile agents being able to communicate with each other at some disjoint time intervals, a new distributed consensus protocol is proposed. By model transforming, it is shown that the consensus problem can be cast into the stability problem for discrete-time multi-agent systems. In light of the multiple Lyapunov stability analysis and the linear matrix inequality method, some new sufficient conditions are derived for guaranteeing the exponential consensus of discrete-time multi-agent systems under fixed topology and switching topology. Moreover, the corresponding gain matrices are also obtained. Finally, simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.

Study on the Fracture Toughness of Polypropylene-Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

Ninghui Liang,Lianxi Ren,Shuo Tian,Xinrong Liu,Zuliang Zhong,Zhiyun Deng,Ru Yan 한국콘크리트학회 2021 International Journal of Concrete Structures and M Vol.15 No.5

To study the hybrid effects of polypropylene fiber and basalt fiber on the fracture toughness of concrete, 13 groups of notched concrete beam specimens with different fiber contents and mass ratios were prepared for the three-point bending test. Based on acoustic emission monitoring data, the initiation cracking load and instability load of each group of specimens were obtained, and the fracture toughness parameters were calculated according to the double- K fracture criterion. The test results show that the basalt fiber-reinforced concrete has a greater increase in initial fracture toughness, and the toughness of coarse polypropylene fiber-reinforced concrete is more unstable. Moreover, after the coarse polypropylene fiber content reaches 6 kg/m³ and the basalt fiber content reaches 3 kg/m³, increasing the content will not significantly improve the fracture toughness of the concrete. The polypropylene-basalt fiber will produce positive and negative effects when mixed, and the mass ratio of 2:1 was optimal. Finally, the fitting analysis revealed that the fracture process of polypropylene-basalt fiber-reinforced concrete (PBFRC) can be objectively described by the bilinear softening constitutive curve improved by Xu and Reinhardt.