LncRNA A2M-AS1 lessens the injury of cardiomyocytes caused by hypoxia and reoxygenation via regulating IL1R2

Xue‑Lian Song,Fei‑Fei Zhang,Wen‑Jing Wang,Xin‑Ning Li,Yi Dang,Ying‑Xiao Li,Qian Yang,Mei‑Jing Shi,Xiao‑Yong Qi 한국유전학회 2020 Genes & Genomics Vol.42 No.12

Background: Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury (MI/RI) is a complex pathophysiological process, which can lead to severe myocardial injury. The long noncoding RNA alpha-2-macroglobulin antisense RNA 1 (A2M-AS1) has been revealed to be abnormally expressed in MI, However, its function in MI and the potential mechanism are still unclear. Objective: To evaluate the functional role of A2M-AS1 in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced neonatal cardiomyocytes and its potential molecular mechanism. Methods: Dataset GSE66360 was obtained from GEO database for analyzing the RNA expression of A2M-AS1 and interleukin 1 receptor type 2 (IL1R2). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of the genes that co-expressed with A2M-AS1 was performed. Human neonatal cardiomyocytes were subjected to H/R to construct in vitro models. QRT-PCR and Western blot were adopted to test the levels of mRNA and protein. The viability and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes were tested by CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Results: The expression of A2M-AS1 was notably downregulated in H/R-treated cardiomyocytes. Overexpression of A2M-AS1 can notably enhance the cell viability of H/R-damaged cardiomyocytes, whereas knockdown of A2M-AS1 showed the opposite outcomes. Besides, a negative correlation was showed between A2M-AS1 and IL1R2 expression. In H/R-treated cardiomyocytes, overexpression of IL1R2 weakened the promoting proliferation and anti-apoptosis effects caused by overexpressing A2M-AS1, however, IL1R2-knockdown abolished the anti-proliferation and pro-apoptosis effects caused by silencing A2M-AS1. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential regulatory role of A2M-AS1/ IL1R2 axis in cardiomyocytes suffered from H/R, and provides insight into the protection of MI/RI.

A Color-Reaction-Based Biochip Detection Assay for RIF and INH Resistance of Clinical Mycobacterial Specimens

( Wen Fei Xue ),( Jing Fu Peng ),( Xiao Li Yu ),( Shu Lin Zhang ),( Boping Zhou ),( Dan Qing Jiang ),( Jian Bo Chen ),( Bing Bing Ding ),( Bin Zhu ),( Yao Li ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2016 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.26 No.1

The widespread occurrence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis places importance on the detection of TB (tuberculosis) drug susceptibility. Conventional drug susceptibility testing (DST) is a lengthy process. We developed a rapid enzymatic color-reaction-based biochip assay. The process included asymmetric multiplex PCR/templex PCR, biochip hybridization, and an enzymatic color reaction, with specific software for data operating. Templex PCR (tem- PCR) was applied to avoid interference between different primers in conventional multiplex- PCR. We applied this assay to 276 clinical specimens (including 27 sputum, 4 alveolar lavage fluid, 2 pleural effusion, and 243 culture isolate specimens; 40 of the 276 were non-tuberculosis mycobacteria specimens and 236 were M. tuberculosis specimens). The testing process took 4.5 h. A sensitivity of 50 copies per PCR was achieved, while the sensitivity was 500 copies per PCR when tem-PCR was used. Allele sequences could be detected in mixed samples at aproportion of 10%. Detection results showed a concordance rate of 97.46% (230/236) in rifampicin resistance detection (sensitivity 95.40%, specificity 98.66%) and 96.19% (227/236) in isoniazid (sensitivity 93.59%, specificity 97.47%) detection with those of DST assay. Concordance rates of testing results for sputum, alveolar lavage fluid, and pleural effusion specimens were 100%. The assay provides a potential choice for TB diagnosis and treatment.

Enhancing Astaxanthin Accumulation in Haematococcus pluvialis by Coupled Light Intensity and Nitrogen Starvation in Column Photobioreactors

( Wen-wen Zhang ),( Xue-fei Zhou ),( Ya-lei Zhang ),( Peng-fei Cheng ),( Rui Ma ),( Wen-long Cheng ),( Hua-qiang Chu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2018 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.28 No.12

Natural astaxanthin mainly derives from a microalgae producer, Haematococcus pluvialis. The induction of nitrogen starvation and high light intensity is particularly significant for boosting astaxanthin production. However, the different responses to light intensity and nitrogen starvation needed to be analyzed for biomass growth and astaxanthin accumulation. The results showed that the highest level of astaxanthin production was achieved in nitrogen starvation, and was 1.64 times higher than the control group at 11 days. With regard to the optimization of light intensity utilization, it was at 200 μmo/m2/s under nitrogen starvation that the highest astaxanthin productivity per light intensity was achieved. In addition, both high light intensity and a nitrogen source had significant effects on multiple indicators. For example, high light intensity had a greater significant effect than a nitrogen source on biomass dry weight, astaxanthin yield and astaxanthin productivity; in contrast, nitrogen starvation was more beneficial for enhancing astaxanthin content per dry weight biomass. The data indicate that high light intensity synergizes with nitrogen starvation to stimulate the biosynthesis of astaxanthin.

Investigation into Shearing Behaviour of Loess-Post Harvest Waste Mixture

( Wen-chieh Cheng ),( Lin Wang ),( Zhong-fei Xue ) 대한지질공학회 2019 대한지질공학회 학술발표회논문집 Vol.2019 No.2

Loess-PHW (post-harvest waste) mixture is easily accessible in Chinese Loess Plateau and widely applied to construction of the residential houses that have been utilised over decades under freeze-thaw cycles. However, the shearing behaviour of the loess-PHW mixture is rarely discussed by published literatures. Thus, a consensus has not yet reached. This study investigates the shearing behaviour of the loess-PHW mixture using small-scale and large-scale direct shear (SSDS and LSDS) tests. Four typical shear stress versus horizontal displacement curves are recognised where one is featured with strain-softening shape and the other three strain-hardening shape. Two out of the three curves with strainhardening shape present a gradual increase in the shear stress at additional displacement and larger displacement respectively. Comparisons of the shear strength measured in SSDS and LSDS are made indicating that the scatter exists between SSDS and LSDS. The effect of the PHW dosage on an improvement of the shear strength is assessed to determine the optimal dosage. The improvement is initiated with the added PHW and developed with the aid of adding more water to specimen. Particle-box interaction behaviour is also assessed, and the findings satisfactorily address the gradual increase in the shear stress observed in the strain-hardening curves. The improved shearing behaviour exhibits a great potential of application to sustainable development of urban areas.

Antioxidant Enzymes and Photosynthetic Responses to Drought Stress of Three Canna edulis Cultivars

Wen-E Zhang,Fei Wang,Xue-jun Pan,Zhi-guo Tian,Xiu-ming Zhao 한국원예학회 2013 원예과학기술지 Vol.31 No.6

Edible canna is a productive starch source in some tropical and semitropical regions. In these regions, water deficit stress is one of factors that limit the crop yield. In the present study, we investigated seven physiological indexes and photosynthetic responses of three edible canna (Canna edulis Ker.) cultivars (‘PLRF’, ‘Xingyu-1’, and ‘Xingyu-2’) under 35 days drought stress. Our results indicated that drought treatment caused visible wilting symptoms in all cultivars, especially in ‘Xingyu-1’. Coupled with the increase of wilting symptoms, relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll content decreased progressively, malondialdehyde (MDA) content gradually increased, and key antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) activities increased first and then decreased in all three cultivars. The effect of water stress was more pronounced in ‘Xingyu-1’ than in ‘PLRF’ and ‘Xingyu-2’, and in lower leaves than in upper leaves. In addition, 35 days drought stress also significantly reduced the photosynthetic capacity. Consistent with antioxidant parameters, photosynthetic changes of ‘Xingyu-2’ were less than those of the other cultivars under water deficit stress. Drought stress caused a significant increase of water use efficiency (WUE) in ‘Xingyu-2’, but little in ‘PLRF’, and obvious decrease in ‘Xingyu-1’. These results indicated that ‘Xingyu-2’ was more tolerant to drought stress than ‘PLRF’ and ‘Xingyu-1’ by maintaining lower lipid peroxidation and higher antioxidant enzyme activities.

Knowledge of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection, Cervical Cancer, and HPV Vaccine and its Correlates among Medical Students in Southwest China: a Multi-center Cross-sectional Survey

Wen, Ying,Pan, Xiong-Fei,Zhao, Zhi-Mei,Chen, Feng,Fu, Chun-Jing,Li, Si-Qi,Zhao, Yun,Chang, Hong,Xue, Qing-Ping,Yang, Chun-Xia Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.14

Background: Since cervical cancer can be prevented and controlled through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, it is important to train health care providers and provide them with appropriate knowledge. This study aimed to understand the level of HPV related knowledge among medical students and correlates in Southwest China in order to address any potential gap in their knowledge base. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among medical students in six selected universities across Southwest China based on a pretested questionnaire regarding HPV infection, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccines. Results: We successfully surveyed 1, 878 medical students, of whom 32.1% were males and 67.9% were females. Their mean age was 20.8 (standard deviation: 1.3) years. 91.8% of them were ethnic Han Chinese, and 43.8% were students in clinical medicine. While 76.5% had heard of HPV only 48.8% knew that the prevention of cervical cancer was possible through HPV vaccination. Only 42.9% of the male and 49.2% of the female students correctly answered over 10 out of 22 questions on HPV related knowledge. Female students appeared to know more about HPV and HPV vaccination (OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.11-1.75). In addition, the student knowledge improved with the grade (p<0.001). University courses were the most selected source of knowledge about HPV vaccination (66.4%). 83.6% of males and 91.4% of females were willing to have more HPV related education by experts (p<0.001). Only 10.1% of the students acknowledged that people had asked for their advice regarding HPV vaccination. Conclusions: Our survey indicates that medical students from Southwest China have poor knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccination, but are willing to receive more relevant information. Targeted education should be incorporated into school courses to inform these future health care providers and ensure success of programs for cervical cancer control and prevention.

Antioxidant Enzymes and Photosynthetic Responses to Drought Stress of Three Canna edulis Cultivars

Zhang, Wen-E,Wang, Fei,Pan, Xue-Jun,Tian, Zhi-Guo,Zhao, Xiu-Ming Korean Society of Horticultural Science 2013 원예과학기술지 Vol.31 No.6

Edible canna is a productive starch source in some tropical and semitropical regions. In these regions, water deficit stress is one of factors that limit the crop yield. In the present study, we investigated seven physiological indexes and photosynthetic responses of three edible canna (Canna edulis Ker.) cultivars ('PLRF', 'Xingyu-1', and 'Xingyu-2') under 35 days drought stress. Our results indicated that drought treatment caused visible wilting symptoms in all cultivars, especially in 'Xingyu-1'. Coupled with the increase of wilting symptoms, relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll content decreased progressively, malondialdehyde (MDA) content gradually increased, and key antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) activities increased first and then decreased in all three cultivars. The effect of water stress was more pronounced in 'Xingyu-1' than in 'PLRF' and 'Xingyu-2', and in lower leaves than in upper leaves. In addition, 35 days drought stress also significantly reduced the photosynthetic capacity. Consistent with antioxidant parameters, photosynthetic changes of 'Xingyu-2' were less than those of the other cultivars under water deficit stress. Drought stress caused a significant increase of water use efficiency (WUE) in 'Xingyu-2', but little in 'PLRF', and obvious decrease in 'Xingyu-1'. These results indicated that 'Xingyu-2' was more tolerant to drought stress than 'PLRF' and 'Xingyu-1' by maintaining lower lipid peroxidation and higher antioxidant enzyme activities.

Different fates of oocytes with DNA double-strand breaks in vitro and in vivo

Lin, Fei,Ma, Xue-Shan,Wang, Zhen-Bo,Wang, Zhong-Wei,Luo, Yi-Bo,Huang, Lin,Jiang, Zong-Zhe,Hu, Meng-Wen,Schatten, Heide,Sun, Qing-Yuan Taylor Francis 2014 Cell Cycle Vol.13 No.17

Improvement of the Shearing Behaviour of Loess Using Recycled Straw Fiber Reinforcement

Zhong-Fei Xue,Wen-Chieh Cheng,Lin Wang,Geyang Song 대한토목학회 2021 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Vol.25 No.9

Reinforcing structural members and construction materials using recycled fibers has become popular in the past decades due to sustainable development concerns. The recycled fibers as soil reinforcement elements contribute to the increase in shear strength by distributing stresses exerted in the soil along the length of the recycled fibers. Loess, widely spread over the Chinese Loess Plateau, is featured with metastable structure, large porosity, and high water sensitivity. This study presents the results of applying the large-scale stress-controlled direct shear tests on the recycled straw fiber-reinforced loess. The formation mechanism of shearing behaviour enhancement of the loess by straw fiber inclusion is revealed. The associated strain-hardening behaviour can be manifested using the dilation angle or the difference in friction angle between the large-displacement friction angle and the peak friction angle. Further, the shear strength using the displacement-controlled direct shear tests presents good correspondence with that using the stress-controlled direct shear tests. The test results explore the potential of using the recycled straw fiber-reinforced loess to protect the fragile loess environment in the northwest of China.

Video-assisted Thoracic Surgery Versus Thoracotomy for Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

Pan, Tie-Wen,Wu, Bin,Xu, Zhi-Fei,Zhao, Xue-Wei,Zhong, Lei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.2

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has been recommended as more optimal surgical technique than traditional thoracotomy for lobectomy in lung cancer, but it is not well defined. Here, we compared VATS and traditional thoracotomy based on clinical data. From November 2008 to November 2010, 180 patients underwent lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCL) identified by computerized tomography. Of them, 83 cases were performed with VATS and 97 by thoracotomy. Clinical parameters, consisting of blood loss, operating time, number of lymph node dissection, days of pleural cavity drainage, and length of stay were recorded and evaluated with t test. No significant difference was observed between the VATS and thoracotomy groups in the average intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph node dissections, and days of pleural cavity drainage. While the average operating time in the VATS group was significantly longer than that in thoracotomy group, recurrence was only present in one case, as opposed to 7 cases in the thoracotomy group In conclusion, similar therapeutic effects were demonstrated in VATS and thoracotomy for NSCL. However, VATS lobectomy was associated with fewer complications, recurrence and shorter length of stay.