Metastasis associated genomic aberrations in stage II rectal cancer

Hong Zhao,Zhi-Zhou Shi,Rui Jiang,Dong-Bing Zhao,Hai-Tao Zhou,Jian-Wei Liang,Xin-Yu Bi,Jian-Jun Zhao,Zhi-Yu Li,Jian-Guo Zhou,Zhen Huang,Ye-Fan Zhang,Jian Wang,Xin Xu,Yan Cai,Ming-Rong Wang,Yu Zhang 한국유전학회 2016 Genes & Genomics Vol.38 No.11

Genomic aberrations of rectal carcinoma, especially DNA copy number changes associated with metastasis were largely unclear. We aim to identify the metastasis associated biomarkers in stage II rectal cancer. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary tumor tissues of stage II rectal carcinoma were analyzed by array-based comparative genomic hybridization, and genomic aberrations were identified by Genomic Workbench and SAM software. Copy number changes and mRNA expressions were validated by Real-time PCR in an independent rectal cancer samples. The results showed that the most frequent gains in stage II rectal cancer were at 1q21.2-q23.1, 3p21.31, 11q12.2-q23.3, 12q24.11-q24.31, 12q13.11-q14.1 and losses in 18q11.2-q23, 17q21.33-q22, 13q31.1-q31.3, 21q21.1-q21.3, 8p23.3-p23.1 and 4q22.1-q23. Twenty-two amplifications and five homozygous deletions were also identified. We further found that S100A1 (1q21.3-q23.1), MCM7 (7q22.1) and JUND (19p13.11) were amplified and overexpressed in stage II rectal cancer. Interestingly, the genomic aberrations affected 14 signaling pathways including VEGF signaling pathway and fatty acid metabolism. Most importantly, loss of 13q31.1-q34 and gain of 1q44 were associated with distant metastasis. Our results indicated that these metastasis associated genomic changes may be useful to reveal the pathogenesis of rectal cancer metastasis and identify candidate biomarkers.

A novel ceramic GEM used for neutron detection

Zhou, Jianrong,Zhou, Xiaojuan,Zhou, Jianjin,Jiang, Xingfen,Yang, Jianqing,Zhu, Lin,Yang, Wenqin,Yang, Tao,Xu, Hong,Xia, Yuanguang,Yang, Gui-an,Xie, Yuguang,Huang, Chaoqiang,Hu, Bitao,Sun, Zhijia,Chen, Korean Nuclear Society 2020 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.52 No.6

A novel ceramic Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) has been developed to meet the demand of high counting rate for the neutron detection which is an alternative to ³He-based detector at China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). An experiment was performed to measure the neutron transmittance of ceramic-GEM and FR4-GEM at the small angle neutron scattering (SANS) instrument. The result showed the ceramic-GEM has higher transmittance and less self-scattering especially for cold neutrons. One single ceramic GEM could give a gain of 10²-10⁴ in the mixture gas of Ar and CO₂ (90%:10%) and its energy resolution was about 27.7% by using ⁵⁵Fe X ray of 5.9 keV. A prototype has been developed in order to investigate the performances of the ceramic GEM-based neutron detector. Several neutron beam tests, including detection efficiency, spatial resolution, two-dimensional imaging, and wavelength spectrum, were carried out at CSNS and China Mianyang Research Reactor (CMRR). The results show that the ceramic GEM-based neutron detector is a good candidate to measure the high intensity neutrons.

Downregulation of lysyl oxidase and lysyl oxidase-like protein 2 suppressed the migration and invasion of trophoblasts by activating the TGF-β/collagen athway in preeclampsia

Xiang-Hong Xu,Yuanhui Jia,Xinyao Zhou,Dandan Xie,Xiaojie Huang,Linyan Jia,Qian Zhou,Qingliang Zheng,Xiangyu Zhou,Kai Wang,Li-Ping Jin 생화학분자생물학회 2019 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.51 No.-

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder that is a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality with a prevalence of 6–8% of pregnancies. Although impaired trophoblast invasion in early pregnancy is known to be closely associated with preeclampsia, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here we revealed that lysyl oxidase (LOX) and LOX-like protein 2 (LOXL2) play a critical role in preeclampsia. Our results demonstrated that LOX and LOXL2 expression decreased in preeclamptic placentas. Moreover, knockdown of LOX or LOXL2 suppressed trophoblast cell migration and invasion. Mechanistically, collagen production was induced in LOX- or LOXL2-downregulated trophoblast cells through activation of the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway. Notably, inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway could rescue the defects caused by LOX or LOXL2 knockdown, thereby underlining the significance of the TGF-β1/ Smad3 pathway downstream of LOX and LOXL2 in trophoblast cells. Additionally, induced collagen production and activated TGF-β1/Smad3 were observed in clinical samples from preeclamptic placentas. Collectively, our study suggests that the downregulation of LOX and LOXL2 leading to reduced trophoblast cell migration and invasion through activation of the TGF-β1/Smad3/collagen pathway is relevant to preeclampsia. Thus, we proposed that LOX, LOXL2, and the TGF-β1/Smad3/collagen pathway can serve as potential markers and targets for clinical diagnosis and therapy for preeclampsia.

Expression and Characterization of RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase of Dendrolimus punctatus Tetravirus

Zhou, Liang,Zhang, Jiamin,Wang, Xiaochun,Jiang, Hong,Yi, Fuming,Hu, Yuanyang 생화학분자생물학회 2006 Journal of biochemistry and molecular biology Vol.39 No.5

Dendrolimus punctatus tetravirus (DpTV) has been identified as a new member of the genus Omegatetravirus of the family Tetraviridae that may be related serologically to Nudaurelia capensis virus ($N{\omega}V$). To establish the function of DpTV RNA genome and to better understand the mechanism of viral replication, the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified on a Ni-chelating HisTrap affinity column and demonstrated to initiate viral RNA synthesis in a primer-independent manner but not by terminal nucleotidyle transferase activity in the presence of $Mg^{2+}$ and RNA template. Mutation of the GDD to GAA interferes with the residues at the polymerase active site and metal ions, and thus renders the polymerase inactive.

Petri Nets Based Coordination Component for CSCW Environment

Hong-Zhong Huang,Feng Zhou,Xu Zu 대한기계학회 2005 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.19 No.5

In view of the lack of efficient coordination of interdependent task in the collaborative design system, the mechanisms for temporal and resource coordination problems are established based on Petri Nets, respectively. Both of the mechanisms are encapsulated and implemented in the coordination component so as to increase the flexibility and acceptability of the system. We model the CSCW system based on Petri Nets for simulation, analysis and optimization. A case study on the overhead traveling crane is given to demonstrate and validate our theory.

Simultaneous treatment with sorafenib and glucose restriction inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo by impairing SIAH1-mediated mitophagy

Zhou Jing,Feng Ji,Wu Yong,Dai Hui-Qi,Zhu Guang-Zhi,Chen Pan-Hong,Wang Li-Ming,Lu Guang,Liao Xi-Wen,Lu Pei-Zhi,Su Wen-Jing,Hooi Shing Chuan,Ye Xin-Pin,Shen Han-Ming,Peng Tao,Lu Guo-Dong 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the first-line treatment for unresectable intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is of high clinical significance to explore the synergistic effect of TACE with antiangiogenic inhibitors and the molecular mechanisms involved. This study determined that glucose, but not other analyzed nutrients, offered significant protection against cell death induced by sorafenib, as indicated by glucose deprivation sensitizing cells to sorafenib-induced cell death. Next, this synergistic effect was found to be specific to sorafenib, not to lenvatinib or the chemotherapeutic drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin. Mechanistically, sorafenib-induced mitophagy, as indicated by PINK1 accumulation, increased the phospho-poly-ubiquitination modification, accelerated mitochondrial membrane protein and mitochondrial DNA degradation, and increased the amount of mitochondrion-localized mKeima-Red engulfed by lysosomes. Among several E3 ubiquitin ligases tested, SIAH1 was found to be essential for inducing mitophagy; that is, SIAH1 silencing markedly repressed mitophagy and sensitized cells to sorafenib-induced death. Notably, the combined treatment of glucose restriction and sorafenib abolished ATP generation and mitophagy, which led to a high cell death rate. Oligomycin and antimycin, inhibitors of electron transport chain complexes, mimicked the synergistic effect of sorafenib with glucose restriction to promote cell death mediated via mitophagy inhibition. Finally, inhibition of the glucose transporter by canagliflozin (a clinically available drug used for type-II diabetes) effectively synergized with sorafenib to induce HCC cell death in vitro and to inhibit xenograft tumor growth in vivo. This study demonstrates that simultaneous treatment with sorafenib and glucose restriction is an effective approach to treat HCC, suggesting a promising combination strategy such as transarterial sorafenib-embolization (TASE) for the treatment of unresectable HCC.

Expression analysis of HSP70 gene in response to environmental stress in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Zhou Lv,Meng Jian-Yu,Ruan Hong-Yun,Zhang Chang-Yu 한국응용곤충학회 2023 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.26 No.3

This study aimed to investigate the role of heat shock proteins in the response of Spodoptera frugiperda to environmental stress. Four Hsp70 genes of S. frugiperda were cloned using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and their sequence characteristics were characterized using bioinformatics analysis. RTqPCR was used to detect Hsp70 at different developmental stages, in different tissues, and under varying environmental stresses (45 ◦ C, 36 ◦ C, 4 ◦ C, ultraviolet-A, and emamectin benzoate) to quantify the relative expression of this gene. Four Hsp70 genes were obtained by cloning, namely SfHsp70-1, SfHsp70-2, SfHsp70-3, and SfHsp70-like, which encode 653, 686, 638, and 627 amino acids, respectively, and all contain the three Hsp70 family signature sequences. Neighbor-joining (NJ) method was used to construct phylogenetic tree, and four Hsp70 of the S. frugiperda species were clustered with Lepidoptera. The results of real-time PCR showed that the SfHsp70s gene was specifically expressed in different tissues at different developmental stages and its expression increased considerably under nearly all environmental stresses in adults. This study shows that the SfHsp70 gene contributes to a large extent to the resistance of S. frugiperda to environmental stress.

The Relationship between HIF-2α and VEGF with Radiographic Severity in the Primary Osteoarthritic Knee

Zhou Jian-lin,Fang Hong-song,Peng Hao,Deng Shuang,Chen Shen,Li Jian-ping,Qiu Bo,Weng Jin-qing,Liu Feng 연세대학교의과대학 2016 Yonsei medical journal Vol.57 No.3

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of hypoxia-inducible factor-2 (HIF-2α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with radiographic severity in primary osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Expression of these two factors in cartilagesamples from OA knee joints was examined at mRNA and protein levels. Materials and Methods: Knee joints were examined using plain radiographs, and OA severity was assessed using the Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) grading system. Specimens were collected from 29 patients (31 knees) who underwent total knee replacementbecause of severe medial OA of the knee (KL grades 3 and 4), 16 patients who underwent knee arthroscopy (KL grade 2), and 5 patients with traumatic knees (KL grade 0). HIF-2α and VEGF expression was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reactionand western blotting. Results: Cartilage degeneration correlated with the radiographic severity grade. OA severity, determined using the Mankin scale, correlated positively with the KL grade (r=0.8790, p<0.01), and HIF-2α and VEGF levels with the radiographic severity of knee OA (r=0.7001, p<0.05; r=0.6647, p<0.05). Conclusion: In OA cartilage, HIF-2α and VEGF mRNA and protein levels were significantly and positively correlated. The expressionof both factors correlated positively with the KL grade. HIF-2α and VEGF, therefore, may serve as biochemical markers as well as potential therapeutic targets in knee OA.

Analysis and validation of novel inverter and LCC‑S topology‑based WPT system

Hong Zhou,Haitang Liu,Qijun Deng,Li Fang 전력전자학회 2022 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.22 No.3

Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology has been widely researched and employed due to its advantages when compared with conventional cable-connected power transmission in terms of convenience, flexibility, security, and so on. In common wireless power transfer systems, DC sources, such as batteries and AC–DC modules, are frequently utilized in the front end of the inverters to generate a relatively high frequency circuit driving voltage. The strategy of directly arranging inverters behind AC sources is feasible by replacing a single NMOS with a pair of back-to-back placed switches that can tolerate both forward and reverse voltage. This novel inverter structure is systematically explored from the perspectives of the time domain and the frequency domain, which demonstrates the convenience and feasibility of the proposed structure. Due to the canceling of the front-end rectifier, the complexity of the system hardware is significantly reduced. In addition, when taking the constant current output feature into account, the LCC-S topology is comprehensively investigated and properly applied. Finally, a laboratory platform is constructed and experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed structure. Furthermore, experiment results show that there is only a slight transfer efficiency decrease when compared with the commonly adopted scheme containing an extra diode rectifier at the transmitting side.

Investigation of Microstructural Evolution and Electrical Properties for Ni-Sn Transient Liquid-Phase Sintering Bonding

Hong-Liang Feng,Ji-Hua Huang,Jian Yang,Shao-Kun Zhou,Rong Zhang,Yue Wang,Shu-Hai Chen 대한금속·재료학회 2017 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.13 No.6

Ni/Ni-Sn/Ni sandwiched simulated package structures weresuccessfully bonded under low temperature and low pressure byNi-Sn transient liquid-phase sintering bonding. The results showthat, after isothermally holding for 240 min at 300 °C and 180 minat 340 °C, Sn was completely transformed into Ni3Sn4 intermetalliccompounds. When the Ni3Sn4 phases around Ni particles werepressed together, the porosity of the bonding layer increased, whichobviously differed from the normal sintering densification process. With further analysis of this phenomenon, it was found that largevolume shrinkage (14.94% at 340 °C) occurred when Ni reactedwith Sn to form Ni3Sn4, which caused void formation. Amechanistic model of the microstructural evolution in the bondinglayer was proposed. Meanwhile, the resistivity of the bonding layerwas measured and analyzed by using the four-probe method; themicrostructural evolution was well reflected by the resistivity ofthe bonding layer. The relationship between the resistivity andmicrostructure was also discussed in detail.