Gut Microbiota Community and Its Assembly Associated with Age and Diet in Chinese Centenarians

( Fang Wang ),( Ting Yu ),( Guo Hong Huang ),( Da Cai ),( Xiaolin Liang ),( Hai Yan Su ),( Zhenjun Zhu ),( Danlei Li ),( Yang Yang ),( Pei Hong Shen ),( Rui Feng Mao ),( Lian Yu ),( Mou Ming Zhao ),( 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.8

Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota underpin the development of health and longevity. However, our understanding of what influences the composition of this community of the longevous has not been adequately described. Therefore, illumina sequencing analysis was performed on the gut microbiota of centenarians (aged 100-108 years; RC) and younger elderlies (aged 85-99 years; RE) living in Bama County, Guangxi, China and the elderlies (aged 80-92 years; CE) living in Nanning City, Guangxi, China. In addition, their diet was monitored using a semiquantitative dietary questionary (FFQ 23). The results revealed the abundance of Roseburia and Escherichia was significantly greater, whereas that of Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium, Parabacteroides, Butyricimonas, Coprococcus, Megamonas, Mitsuokella, Sutterella, and Akkermansia was significantly less in centenarians at the genus level. Both clustering analysis and UniFraq distance analysis showed structural segregation with age and diet among the three populations. Using partial least square discriminate analysis and redundancy analysis, we identified 33 and 34 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) as key OTUs that were significantly associated with age and diet, respectively. Age-related OTUs were characterized as Ruminococcaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Lachnospiraceae, and the former two were increased in the centenarians; diet-related OTUs were classified as Bacteroidales, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae. The former two were deceased, whereas the later one was increased, in the high-fiber diet. The age and high-fiber diet were concomitant with changes in the gut microbiota of centenarians, suggesting that age and high-fiber diet can establish a new structurally balanced architecture of gut microbiota that may benefit the health of centenarians.

Low-dose diethylhexyl phthalate exposure does not impair the expressive patterns of epigenetics-related genes and DNA methylation of breast cancer-related genes in mouse mammary glands

Shun-Feng Cheng,Ling Li,Bo Li,Jing-Cai Liu,Fang-Nong Lai,Yong Zhao,Xi-Feng Zhang,Wei Shen,Lan Li 대한독성 유전단백체 학회 2018 Molecular & cellular toxicology Vol.14 No.2

Backgrounds: Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), as an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC), is widely used in plasticizer and other productions. Ubiquitous human exposure to DEHP has been proposed to be a potential risk to public health. Developmental exposure to DEHP could alter epigenetic programming and result in adult-onset disease. Methods: In this study, we investigated whether DEHP exposure to pregnant mice affected epigenetic changes as a result of increase in breast cancer incidence. Results: Our results showed that the expression of total 143 epigenetics-related genes in mammary gland cells, have no significantly altered after short time and low-dose treated with DEHP from 0.5 days post-coitum (dpc) to 3.5 dpc of pregnant mice. DNA methylation status of some neoplastic development genes, such as EGFr, Esr1, Pgr, Fos and Rassf5 also had no obvious change. Conclusion: These finding showed no impact of DEHP on the expressive patterns of epigenetics-related genes and DNA methylation of breast cancer-related genes in pregnant mouse mammary gland cells.

Berberine Hydrochloride Impact on Physiological Processes and Modulation of Twist Levels in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma CNE-1 Cells

Li, Cai-Hong,Wu, Dong-Fang,Ding, Hang,Zhao, Yang,Zhou, Ke-Yuan,Xu, De-Feng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.4

Objective: The main purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of berberine hydrochloride (BH) on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of CNE-1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Our results shed light on the functional components of traditional Chinese herbs for potential use in modern medicine. Methods: The CNE-1 cell line was treated with different concentrations of BH and effects on cell viability and proliferation were evaluated using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Anti-migratory and anti-invasive actions of BH were investigated using wound healing assays and the Millicell Hanging cell culture insert system, respectively. Expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related gene twist (Twist) was analyzed by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Apoptosis was estimated with an annexin-V fluorescein (FITC) apoptosis detection kit, as well as with reference to levels of activated caspase-3 of CNE-1 cells before and after treatment with BH utilizing fluorescence spectroscopy. Results: BH was capable of reducing proliferation and viability of CNE-1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, also demonstrating anti-migratory and anti-invasive capacities which correlated with reduction in expression of Twist. Finally, BH was able to induce significant amounts of apoptosis in CNE-1 cells, as demonstrated by an increase in the activity of caspase-3 and in annexin-V staining following treatment. Conclusion: BH extracted from rhizoma coptidis demonstrated an ability to block proliferation, induce apoptosis, and impair the migration and invasion of the CNE-1 cell line Considering these properties, our results suggest that BH could be an important compound for consideration in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Molecular Cloning and Expression of cDNA Encoding the Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitor from Upland Cotton

Ming-feng Jiang,Sheng-wei Li,Min Chen,Ying-fan Cai,Yong-fang Xie,Biao Li,Quan Sun,Huai-zhong Jiang,Zheng Pan,Yun-ling Gao,You-Lu Yuan,Yu-zheng Shi 한국식물학회 2009 Journal of Plant Biology Vol.52 No.5

A cDNA encoding a novel cysteine proteinase inhibitor (CPI) was isolated from a gland mutant Xiangmian-18 of upland cotton during the pigments gland forming stage. The cDNA comprises 378 bp and encodes 125 amino acid residues with molecular mass of 13.8 kDa. It contains the conserved motif of cysteine protease inhibitors and belongs to the cystatin superfamily (Gln- Val-Val-Ala-Gly). The deduced amino acid sequences of the domains are highly similar to the normal upland cotton (96.8%). SDS-PAGE and western hybridization analysis showed that the expressed recombinant protein was recombinant CPI. The inhibitory activity of recombinant CPI was 46 u/μg which was measured by inhibiting the protease activity of papain. RT-PCR results indicated that the expression level of developing gland stage was higher than that of undeveloped gland stage.

Multiple Particle Production in Proton-proton Collisions at Energies Available at the Large Hadron Collider

Jin-Ming Feng,Cai-Xing Tian,Rui-Fang Si,Fu-Hu Liu 한국물리학회 2012 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.61 No.4

A shift three-source model is used in this paper to describe the multiplicity and the pseudorapidity distributions of final-state charged particles produced in proton-proton collisions at energies available at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The three kinds of sources are central sources arising from gluon-gluon collisions, target fragmentation sources arising from gluon- or quark-induced collisions with target quarks, and projectile fragmentation sources arising from gluon- or quark-induced collisions with projectile quarks. The central, target fragmentation, and projectile fragmentation sources each have shifts around their centers. The results calculated by using the shift three-source model are in agreement with the experimental data of the ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) and the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid experiment) Collaborations.

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of a novel BiOCl/g‑C3N4 thin film prepared via spin coating

Wei‑Qin Cai,De‑Fang Zhang,Feng‑Jun Zhang,Won‑Chun Oh 한국세라믹학회 2020 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.57 No.3

Novel BiOCl/g-C3N4 thin film photocatalysts were synthesized via a simple two-step spin coating method. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the thin films for the degradation of rhodamine B under visible light (λ ≥ 400 nm) was investigated. The results showed that the BiOCl/g-C3N4 thin film photocatalysts exhibited significantly improved visible light absorption compared to the pure BiOCl thin film. The BiOCl/g-C3N4 film showed a rhodamine B degradation efficiency of 81.0% under visible light, which is 23.8 times higher than that of the pure BiOCl thin film. This excellent photocatalytic activity of the BiOCl/g-C3N4 film can be attributed to its efficient electron–hole separation due to the presence of g-C3N4.

Profiling Gene Expression During Gland Morphogenesis of a Glanded and a Glandless Upland Cotton

Ying-Fan Cai,Min Chen,Quan Sun,Yong-Fang Xie,Sheng-Wei Li,Jian-Chuan Mo,Ming-Feng Jiang,You-Lu Yuan,Yu-Zhen Shi,Huai-Zhong Jiang,Zheng Pan,Yun-Ling Gao,Peng-Sheng Ye,Hua-Lan Zeng 한국식물학회 2009 Journal of Plant Biology Vol.52 No.6

The pigment gland is an important character of the Gossypium plant. With the aim of identifying genes involved in pigment gland morphogenesis in cotton, gene expression during pigment gland morphogenesis in Chuan 2802, which is glanded both in seed and plant, and a glandless line N5 was profiled using Affymetrix Cotton microarray. The results showed that there were 564 differentially expressed genes greater than twofold during gland morphogenesis. About 60.2% of these genes shares similarity with known genes on GenBank and about 39.8% with no functional description in the database. These described genes may play roles in defense response, response to oxidative stress, peroxidase activity, and the other metabolic pathways. The KEGG Orthology-Based Annotation System indicated that these above twofold expressed genes involved seven biochemical pathways on KEGG. These findings suggest that a complicated regulation is associated with pigment gland morphogenesis and the associated defense response including gossypol biosynthesis in cotton.

Distinct mutations in MLH1 and MSH2 genes in Hereditary Non-polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) families from China

( Wen Qian Wei ),( Fang Qi Liu ),( Lei Liu ),( Zuo Feng Li ),( Xiao Yan Zhang ),( Fan Jiang ),( Qu Shi ),( Xiao Yan Zhou ),( Wei Qi Sheng ),( San Jun Cai ),( Xuan Li ),( Ye Xu ),( Peng Nan ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2011 BMB Reports Vol.44 No.5

Hereditary non-polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant inheritance syndrome. HNPCC is the most common hereditary variant of colorectal cancer (CRC), which accounts for 2-5% CRCs, mainly due to hMLH1 and hMSH2 mutations that impair DNA repair functions. Our study aimed to identify the patterns of hMSH2 and hMLH1 mutations in Chinese HNPCC patients. Ninety-eight unrelated families from China meeting Amsterdam or Bethesda criteria were included in our study. Germline mutations in MLH1 and MSH2 genes, located in the exons and the splice-site junctions, were screened in the 98 probands by direct sequencing. Eleven mutations were found in ten patients (11%), with six in MLH1 (54.5%) and five in MSH2 (45.5%) genes. One patient had mutations in both MLH1 and MSH2 genes. Three novel mutations in MLH1 gene (c.157_160delGAGG, c.2157dupT and c.-64G>T) were found for the first time, and one suspected hotspot in MSH2 (c.1168C>T) was revealed. [BMB reports 2011; 44(5): 317-322]

Preparation of lithium-doped NaV6O15 thin film cathodes with high cycling performance in SIBs

Xu Hai-Yan,Ruan Jun Hai,Liu Fang Lin,Li Dong-Cai,Zhang Feng-Jun,Wang Ai-Guo,Sun Dao-Sheng,오원춘 한국세라믹학회 2022 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.59 No.3

Lithium ions-doped NaV6O15 thin films have been prepared using a simple low temperature liquid phase deposition method and subsequent annealing process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), scanning elec- tron microscopy (SEM), and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to study the structural and physicochemical characteristics of the NaV6O15 film. The films were grown on the FTO conductive glass and used directly as an electrode of sodium ion batteries. The prepared lithium ions-doped NaV6O15 thin film electrodes showed an excellent cycling stability and discharge capacity, which may be attributed to the stability of the Li+ embedded into the gap between the V–O layers to maintain the structure and its stable β-phase structure transformed after the first cycle. The cycling stability greatly improved with increasing annealing temperature, while the discharge capacity decreased. The capacities of the film electrodes annealed at 400 °C and 450 °C maintained above 97% after 100 cycles. The lithium-doped NaV6O15 underwent a phase transition dur- ing the first charge/discharge cycle. The new transformed phase has perfect crystal structure stability undergoing insertion and deinsertion of Na+. Therefore, the lithium-doped NaV6O15 thin film possesses good cycling stability and is expected to be a promising thin film cathode for sodium-ion batteries.

Analysis of key elements of single-layer dome structures against progressive collapse

Qian Zhang,Wenxing Huang,Yixiang Xu,Jianguo Cai,Fang Wang,Jian Feng 국제구조공학회 2022 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.42 No.2

The analysis of the progressive collapse resistance of structures is a well-known issue among structural engineers. Large-span reticulated dome structures are commonly utilized in large public buildings, necessitating research into their progressive collapse resistance to assure user safety. The most significant part of improving the structural resilience of reticulated domes is to evaluate their key elements. Based on a stiffness-based evaluation approach, this work offers a calculating procedure for element importance coefficient. For both original and damaged structures, evaluations are carried out using the global stiffness matrix and the determinant. The Kiewitt, Schwedler, and Sunflower reticulated domes are investigated to explore the distribution characteristic of element importance coefficients in the single-layer dome structures. Moreover, the influences of the load levels, load distributions, geometric parameters and topological features are also discussed. The results can be regarded as the initial concept design reference for single-layer reticulated domes.