Enhanced photocatalytic mechanism of Ag₃PO₄ nano-sheets using MS₂ (M = Mo, W)/rGO hybrids as co-catalysts for 4-nitrophenol degradation in water

Zhang, Weiping,Li, Guiying,Wang, Wanjun,Qin, Yaxin,An, Taicheng,Xiao, Xinyan,Choi, Wonyong Elsevier 2018 Applied Catalysis B Vol.232 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>A chemically modified Ag<SUB>3</SUB>PO<SUB>4</SUB>@MS<SUB>2</SUB>(M = Mo, W)/rGO composite was firstly synthesized via a liquid-exfoliation solvothermal method. The structure, morphology, optical properties and composition were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The characterization results indicated that compact structure could be obtained by using this typical method due to in-situ chemical modification, which could also control the sizes of Ag<SUB>3</SUB>PO<SUB>4</SUB> nano-sheets by adding MS<SUB>2</SUB>/rGO hybrids. More importantly, the resultant Ag<SUB>3</SUB>PO<SUB>4</SUB>@MS<SUB>2</SUB>/rGO composite exhibited higher photocatalytic activity and stability toward the degradation of 4-nitrophenol than pure Ag<SUB>3</SUB>PO<SUB>4</SUB> under sunlight irradiation. The stable structure of Ag<SUB>3</SUB>PO<SUB>4</SUB>@MS<SUB>2</SUB>/rGO was closely related with Z-scheme electronic structure and electrical conductivity of MS<SUB>2</SUB>/rGO hybrids, leading to a higher consumption and transfer of photogenerated electrons. However, by controlling the amounts of MS<SUB>2</SUB>/rGO hybrids, more stable but lower photocatalytic activity composites could be obtained. Further analysis found that the holes and O<SUB>2</SUB> <SUP>−</SUP> were the main reactive species involved in the photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol. In addition, possible photocatalytic degradation pathways of 4-nitrophenol were also proposed based on the identified intermediates. The findings of this work may provide a new method to design efficient composites for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Ag<SUB>3</SUB>PO<SUB>4</SUB>@MS<SUB>2</SUB>/rGO catalyst was fabricated via a liquid-exfoliation solvothermal method. </LI> <LI> Ag<SUB>3</SUB>PO<SUB>4</SUB>@MS<SUB>2</SUB>/rGO has high photocatalytic activity and stability under sunlight. </LI> <LI> The stability of Ag<SUB>3</SUB>PO<SUB>4</SUB>@MS<SUB>2</SUB>/rGO was due to its rapid transfer of photogenerated e<SUP>−</SUP>. </LI> <LI> h<SUP>+</SUP> and O<SUB>2</SUB> <SUP>−</SUP> were the main RSs in photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Colorectal Cancer Concealment Predicts a Poor Survival: A Retrospective Study

Li, Xiao-Pan,Xie, Zhen-Yu,Fu, Yi-Fei,Yang, Chen,Hao, Li-Peng,Yang, Li-Ming,Zhang, Mei-Yu,Li, Xiao-Li,Feng, Li-Li,Yan, Bei,Sun, Qiao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.7

Objectives: Understanding the situation of cancer awareness which doctors give to patients might lead to prognostic prediction in cases of of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Subsets of 10,779 CRC patients were used to screen the risk factors from the Cancer Registry in Pudong New Area in cancer awareness, age, TNM stage, and gender. Survival of the patients was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and assessed by Cox regression analysis. The views of cancer awareness in doctors and patients were surveyed by telephone or household. Results: After a median observation time of 1,616 days (ranging from 0 to 4,083 days) of 10,779 available patients, 2,596 of the 4,561 patients with cancer awareness survived, whereas 2,258 of the 5,469 patients without cancer awareness and 406 of the 749 patients without information on cancer awareness died of the disease. All-cause and cancer-specific survival were poorer for the patients without cancer awareness than those with (P < 0.001 for each, log-rank test). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that cancer concealment cases had significantly lower cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.299; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.200-1.407)and all-cause survival (HR = 1.324; 95 % CI: 1.227-1.428). Furthermore, attitudes of cancer awareness between doctors and patients were significantly different (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Cancer concealment, not only late-stage tumor and age, is associated with a poor survival of CRC patients.

SPON2 Promotes M1-like Macrophage Recruitment and Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis by Distinct Integrin–Rho GTPase–Hippo Pathways

Zhang, Yan-Li,Li, Qing,Yang, Xiao-Mei,Fang, Fang,Li, Jun,Wang, Ya-Hui,Yang, Qin,Zhu, Lei,Nie, Hui-Zhen,Zhang, Xue-Li,Feng, Ming-Xuan,Jiang, Shu-Heng,Tian, Guang-Ang,Hu, Li-Peng,Lee, Ho-Young,Lee, Su-J American Association for Cancer Research 2018 Cancer research Vol.78 No.9

<P>Matricellular protein SPON2 acts as an HCC suppressor and utilizes distinct signaling events to perform dual functions in HCC microenvironment.</P><P>Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) represent key regulators of the complex interplay between cancer and the immune microenvironment. Matricellular protein SPON2 is essential for recruiting lymphocytes and initiating immune responses. Recent studies have shown that SPON2 has complicated roles in cell migration and tumor progression. Here we report that, in the tumor microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), SPON2 not only promotes infiltration of M1-like macrophages but also inhibits tumor metastasis. SPON2-α4β1 integrin signaling activated RhoA and Rac1, increased F-actin reorganization, and promoted M1-like macrophage recruitment. F-Actin accumulation also activated the Hippo pathway by suppressing LATS1 phosphorylation, promoting YAP nuclear translocation, and initiating downstream gene expression. However, SPON2-α5β1 integrin signaling inactivated RhoA and prevented F-actin assembly, thereby inhibiting HCC cell migration; the Hippo pathway was not noticeably involved in SPON2-mediated HCC cell migration. In HCC patients, SPON2 levels correlated positively with prognosis. Overall, our findings provide evidence that SPON2 is a critical factor in mediating the immune response against tumor cell growth and migration in HCC.</P><P><B>Significance:</B> Matricellular protein SPON2 acts as an HCC suppressor and utilizes distinct signaling events to perform dual functions in HCC microenvironment.</P><P><B>Graphical Abstract:</B> http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/78/9/2305/F1.large.jpg. <I>Cancer Res; 78(9); 2305–17. ©2018 AACR</I>.</P><P><B>Graphical Abstract</B></P><P> [Figure]</P>

Properties of an AlGaN/AlN Distributed-Bragg-reflector Structure

Li-Li Zhang,Zhan-Hui Liu,Xiao-Gu Huang,Qing-Fang Li,Rong Zhang,Zi-Li Xie,Xiang-Qian Xiu 한국물리학회 2014 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.65 No.7

An AlGaN/AlN distributed-Bragg-reflector (DBR) structure with a high Al content was grown byusing plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE). The properties of the sample were characterizedby using the transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution X-ray diffraction, atomicforce microscopy, and reflectivity spectrum measurements. The reciprocal space mapping analysisindicated that the strain in the AlGaN layers was partially relaxed. The morphology of the DBRexhibited a surface covered by grains (average size of about 130 nm), and the surface roughness wasabout 2 nm. The spectral measurements showed that the DBR structure presented a peak reflectivityof 68.8% at the center wavelength of 247 nm, which indicated that this DBR structure couldwork in the deep solar-blind UV region with acceptable reflectivity. However, the optical propertiesof the DBR structure were deteriorated by the fluctuation of the Al composition, non-uniformity ofthe layer thickness, the blurry, rough interface in the DBR structure, and so on.

Patterns of Lymph Node Recurrence after Radical Surgery Impacting on Survival of Patients with pT1-3N0M0 Thoracic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Xiao-li Chen,,Tian-wu Chen,Zhi-jia Fang,Xiao-ming Zhang,Zhen-lin Li,Hang Li,Hong-jie Tang,Li Zhou,Dan Wang,Zishu Zhang 대한의학회 2014 Journal of Korean medical science Vol.29 No.2

The aim of this study was to investigate how patterns of lymph nodes recurrence after radical surgery impact on survival of patients with pT1-3N0M0 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. One hundred eighty consecutive patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent radical surgery, and the tumors were staged as pT1-3N0M0 by postoperative pathology. Lymph nodes recurrence was detected with computed tomography 3-120 months after the treatment. The patterns of lymph nodes recurrence including stations, fields and locations of recurrent lymph nodes, and impacts on patterns of survival were statistically analyzed. There was a decreasing trend of overall survival with increasing stations or fields of postoperative lymph nodes involved (all P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that stations or fields of lymph nodes recurrence, and abdominal or cervical lymph nodes involved were prognostic factors for survival(all P<0.05). Cox analyses revealed that the field was an independent factor (P<0.05, odds ratio=2.73). Lymph nodes involved occurred predominantly in cervix and upper mediastinum (P<0.05). In conclusion, patterns of lymph node recurrence especially the fields of lymph nodes involved are significant prognostic factors for survival of patients with pT1-3N0M0 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Prognostic Value of PLCE1 Expression in Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Cui, Xiao-Bin,Peng, Hao,Li, Su,Li, Ting-Ting,Liu, Chun-Xia,Zhang, Shu-Mao,Jin, Ting-Ting,Hu, Jian-Ming,Jiang, Jin-Fang,Liang, Wei-Hua,Li, Na,Li, Li,Chen, Yun-Zhao,Li, Feng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.22

Background: A number of studies have identified a shared susceptibility locus in phospholipase C epsilon 1 (PLCE1) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and gastric cardia adenocarcinomas (GCA). However, the results of PLCE1 expression in esophageal and gastric cancer remain inconsistent and controversial. Moreover, the effects on clinicopathological features remain undetermined. This study aimed to provide a precise quantification of the association between PLCE1 expression and the risk of ESCC and GCA through meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: Eligible studies were identified from PubMed, Wanfang Data, ISI Web of Science, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. Using RevMan5.2 software, pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were employed to assess the association of PLCE1 expression with clinicopathological features relative to ESCC or GCA. Results: Seven articles were identified, including 761 esophageal and gastric cancer cases and 457 controls. Overall, we determined that PLCE1 expression was associated with tumor progression in both esophageal cancers (pooled OR=5.93; 95%CI=3.86 to 9.11) and gastric cancers (pooled OR=9.73; 95%CI=6.46 to 14.7). Moreover, invasion depth (pooled OR=3.62; 95%CI=2.30 to 5.70) and lymph node metastasis (pooled OR=4.21; 95%CI=2.69 to 6.59) were linked with PLCE1 expression in gastric cancer. However, no significant associations were determined between PLCE1 overexpression and the histologic grade, invasion depth, and lymph node metastasis in esophageal cancer. Conclusions: Our metaanalysis results indicated that upregulated PLCE1 is significantly associated with an increased risk of tumor progression in ESCC and GCA. Therefore, PLCE1 expression can be appropriately regarded as a promising biomarker for ESCC and GCA patients.

Cordblood-Based High-Throughput Screening for Deafness Gene of 646 Newborns in Jinan Area of China

Shou-Xia Li,Ding-Li Chen,Su-Bin Zhao,Li-Li Guo,Hai-Qin Feng,Xiao-Fang Zhang,Li-Li Ping,Zhi-Ming Yang,Cai-Xia Sun,Gen-Dong Yao 대한이비인후과학회 2015 Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol.8 No.3

Objectives. Infants with slight/mild or late-onset hearing impairment might be missed in universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS). We identified the mutation hot spot of common deaf gene in the newborns in Jinan area population by screening the mutation spot with neonate cord blood, in order to make clear whether the neonate cord blood for screening is feasible. Methods. Six hundred and forty-six newborns were subjected to both UNHS and genetic screening for deafness by using neonate cord blood. The newborn genetic screening targeted four deafness-associated genes, which were commonly found in the Chinese population including gap junction beta-2 protein (GJB2), gap junction beta-3 protein (GJB3), solute carrier family 26 member 4 (SLC26A4), and mtDNA 12S rRNA. The most common 20 spot mutations in 4 deaf genes were detected by MassARRAY iPLEX platform and mitochondrial 12S rRNA A1555G and C1494T mutations were sequenced using Sanger sequencing. Results. Among the 646 newborns, 635 cases passed the UNHS and the other 11 cases (1.7%) did not. Of the 11 failures, two cases were found to carry homozygous GJB2 p.R143W pathogenic mutation, one case was found to have heterozygous GJB2 235delC mutation, and another one case carried heterozygous GJB3 p.R180X pathogenic mutation. Six hundred and thirty-five babies passed the newborn hearing screening, in which 25 babies were identified to carry pathogenic mutations, including 12 heterozygotes (1.9%) for GJB2 235delC, eight heterozygotes (1.3%) for SLC26A4 IVS7-2A>G, one heterozygote (0.2%) for p.R409H, two homozygotes (0.3%) for m.1494C>T, and two homozygotes (0.3%) for m.1555A>G. Conclusion. Newborn genetic screening through the umbilical cord blood for common deafness-associated mutations may identify carriers sensitive to aminoglycoside antibiotic, and can effectively prevent or delay hearing loss occurs.

Effectiveness and Safety of Dabrafenib in the Treatment of 20 Chinese Children with BRAFV600E-Mutated Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis

Ying Yang,Dong Wang,Lei Cui,Hong-Hao Ma,Li Zhang,Hong-Yun Lian,Qing Zhang,Xiao-Xi Zhao,Li-Ping Zhang,Yun-Ze Zhao,Na Li,Tian-You Wang,Zhi-Gang Li,Rui Zhang 대한암학회 2021 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.53 No.1

Purpose We sought to investigate the effectiveness and safety of dabrafenib in children with BRAFV600E-mutated Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 20 children with BRAFV600E-mutated LCH who were treated with dabrafenib. Results The median age at which the patients started taking dabrafenib was 2.3 years old (range, 0.6 to 6.5 years). The ratio of boys to girls was 2.3:1. The median follow-up time was 30.8 months (range, 18.9 to 43.6 months). There were 14 patients (70%) in the risk organ (RO)+ group and six patients (30%) in the RO– group. All patients were initially treated with traditional chemotherapy and then shifted to targeted therapy due to poor control of LCH or intolerance to chemotherapy. The overall objective response rate and the overall disease control rate were 65% and 75%, respectively. During treatment, circulating levels of cell-free BRAFV600E (cfBRAFV600E) became negative in 60% of the patients within a median period of 3.0 months (range, 1.0 to 9.0 months). Grade 2 or 3 adverse effects occurred in five patients. Conclusion Some children with BRAFV600E-mutated LCH may benefit from monotherapy with dabrafenib, especially high-risk patients with concomitant hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and intolerance to chemotherapy. The safety of dabrafenib is notable. A prospective study with a larger sample size is required to determine the optimal dosage and treatment duration.

Proposal of a Risk Scoring System to Facilitate the Treatment of Enteroenteric Intussusception in Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome

Xiao Nianjun,Zhang Tongzhen,Zhang Jing,Zhang Jinlong,Li Hao,Ning Shoubin 거트앤리버 소화기연관학회협의회 2023 Gut and Liver Vol.17 No.2

Background/Aims: Enteroenteric intussusception in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (EI-PJS) is traditionally treated by surgery. However, enteroscopic treatment is a minimally invasive approach worth attempting. We aimed to develop a risk scoring system to facilitate decision-making in the treatment of EI-PJS. Methods: This was a single-center case-control study, including 80 patients diagnosed with PJS and coexisting intussusception between January 2015 and January 2021 in Air Force Medical Center. We performed logistic regression analysis to identify independent risk factors and allocated different points to each subcategory of risk factors; the total score of individuals ranged from 0 to 9 points. Then, we constructed a risk stratification system based on the possibility of requiring surgery: 0–3 points for “low-risk,” 4–6 points for “moderate-risk,” and 7–9 points for “high-risk.” Results: Sixty-one patients (76.25%) were successfully treated with enteroscopy. Sixteen patients (20.0%) failed enteroscopic treatment and subsequently underwent surgery, and three patients (3.75%) received surgery directly. Abdominal pain, the diameter of the responsible polyp, and the length of intussusception were independent risk factors for predicting the possibility of requiring surgery. According to the risk scoring system, the incidence rates of surgery were 4.44% in the low-risk tier, 30.43% in the moderate-risk tier, and 83.33% in the high-risk tier. From low- to high-risk tiers, the trend of increasing risk was significant (p<0.001). Conclusions: We developed a risk scoring system based on abdominal pain, diameter of the responsible polyps, and length of intussusception. It can preoperatively stratify patients according to the risk of requiring surgery for EI-PJS to facilitate treatment decision-making.

Proteomic Analysis of the Aging-related Proteins in Human Normal Colon Epithelial Tissue

Li, Ming,Xiao, Zhi-Qiang,Chen, Zhu-Chu,Li, Jian-Ling,Li, Cui,Zhang, Peng-Fei,Li, Mao-Yu Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biol 2007 Journal of biochemistry and molecular biology Vol.40 No.1

In order to screen the aging related proteins in human normal colon epithelia, the comparative proteomics analysis was applied to get the two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) profiles with high resolution and reproducibility from normal colon epithelial tissues of young and aged people. Differential proteins between the colon epithelia of two age groups were found with PDQuest software. The thirty five differential protein-spots were identified by peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) and database searching. Among them there are sixteen proteins which are significantly up-regulated in the colonic mucosal epithelia of young people group, which include ATP synthase beta chain, electron transfer flavoprotein alpha-subunit, catalase, glutathione peroxidase 1, annexin A2 and heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein, etc.; There are nineteen proteins which are significantly up-regulated in the colonic mucosal epithelia of aged people group, which include far upstream element-binding protein 1, nucleoside diphosphate kinase B, protein disulfide-isomerase precursor and VDAC-2, etc.. The identified differential proteins appear to be involved in metabolism, energy generation, chaperone, antioxidation, signal transduction, protein folding and apoptosis. The data will help to understand the molecular mechanisms of human colon epithelial aging.