The Effects of Adenoviral Transfection of the Keratinocyte Growth Factor Gene on Epidermal Stem Cells: an In Vitro Study

Xinping Li,Mingsheng Zhang,Ling Liang,Pin Zhao,Kenzo Uchida,Hisatoshi Baba,Hong Huang,Wenfang Bai,Liming Bai 한국분자세포생물학회 2013 Molecules and cells Vol.36 No.4

Epidermal stem cells (ESCs) are characterized as slow-cycling, multi-potent, and self-renewing cells that not only maintain somatic homeostasis but also participate in tissue regeneration and repair. To examine the feasibility of adenoviral vector-mediated keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) gene transfer into in vitro-expanded ESCs, ESCs were isolated from samples of human skin, cultured in vitro, and then transfected with recombinant adenovirus (Ad) carrying the human KGF gene (AdKGF) or green fluorescent protein gene (AdGFP). The effects of KGF gene transfer on cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, cell surface antigen phenotype, and -catenin expression were investigated. Compared to ESCs transfected with AdGFP, AdKGF-transfected ESCs grew well, maintained a high proliferative capacity in keratinocyte serum-free medium, and expressed high levels of -catenin. AdKGF infection increa-sed the number of ESCs in the G0/G1 phase and promoted ESCs entry into the G2/M phase, but had no effect on cell surface antigen phenotype (CD49f+/CD71-). The results suggest that KGF gene transfer can stimulate ESCs to grow and undergo cell division, which can be applied to enhance cutaneous wound healing.

Protective Effects of Bacillus coagulans JA845 against D-Galactose/AlCl₃-Induced Cognitive Decline, Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation

( Xinping Song ),( Zijian Zhao ),( Yujuan Zhao ),( Qing Jin ),( Shengyu Li ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2022 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.32 No.2

Recently, the efficacy of probiotics in treatment of neurodegenerative disorders has been reported in animal and clinical studies. Here, we assessed the effects of Bacillus coagulans JA845 in counteracting the symptoms of D-galactose (D-gal)/AlCl₃-induced Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in a mice model through behavioral test, histological assessment and biochemical analysis. Ten weeks of pretreatment with B. coagulans JA845 prevented cognitive decline, attenuated hippocampal lesion and protected neuronal integrity, which demonstrated the neuroprotective features of B. coagulans JA845 in vivo. We also found that supplementation of B. coagulans JA845 alleviated amyloid-beta deposits and hyperphosphorylated tau in hippocampus of D-gal/AlCl₃-induced AD model mice. Furthermore, B. coagulans JA845 administration attenuated oxidative stress and decreased serum concentration of inflammatory cytokines by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 and MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway. Our results demonstrated for the first time that B. coagulans has the potential to help prevent cognitive decline and might be a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Characterization of Interphase Microbial Community in Luzhou-Flavored Liquor Manufacturing Pits of Various Ages by Polyphasic Detection Methods

( Hui Li ),( Jun Huang ),( Xinping Liu ),( Rongqing Zhou ),( Xiaofei Ding ),( Qianyin Xiang ),( Liqiang Zhang ),( Chongde Wu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2017 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.27 No.1

It is vital to understand the changing characteristics of interphase microbial communities and interspecies synergism during the fermentation of Chinese liquors. In this study, microbial communities in the three indispensable phases (pit mud, zaopei, and huangshui) of Luzhou-flavored liquor manufacturing pits and their shifts during cellars use were first investigated by polyphasic culture-independent approaches. The archaeal and eubacterial communities in the three phases were quantitatively assessed by combined phospholipid ether lipids/ phospholipid fatty acid analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization. In addition, qualitative information regarding the microbial community was analyzed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Results suggested that the interphase microbial community profiles were quite different, and the proportions of specific microbial groups evolved gradually. Anaerobic bacteria and gram-positive bacteria were dominant and their numbers were higher in pit mud (10⁹ cells/g) than in huangshui (10⁷ cells/ml) and zaopei (10⁷cells/g). Hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaea were the dominant archaea, and their proportions were virtually unchanged in pit mud (around 65%), whereas they first increased and then decreased in zaopei (59%-82%-47%) and increased with pit age in huangshui (82%-92%). Interactions between microbial communities, especially between eubacteria and methanogens, played a key role in the formation of favorable niches for liquor fermentation. Furthermore, daqu (an essential saccharifying and fermentative agent) and metabolic regulation parameters greatly affected the microbial community.

High step-up three-level DC-DC converter with three-winding coupled-inductor

Ding, Xinping,Zhao, Delin,Liu, Yun,Li, Kai,Hao, Yangyang The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2020 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.20 No.1

Due to the wide adoption of photovoltaic power generation, non-isolated high step-up DC-DC converters are becoming more and more popular. Among these converters, the switched/coupled-inductor-based converter is more attractive due to the fact that it has fewer power devices and a high efficiency. This paper presents a three-level high step-up DC-DC topology with a three-winding coupled-inductor. When compared with a conventional switched/coupled-inductor-based converter, a higher efficiency can be achieved, owing to low voltage stresses devices, fewer semiconductors in the power loop, lower current stresses, and ZCS of the main switches. The operating principle of the proposed topology is analyzed in detail via equivalent circuits, where a theoretical analysis is carried out using state space modelling. Experimental results obtained on a 24-300 V, 360 W lab prototype have verified the excellent performance of the proposed DC-DC converter.

Numerical investigation on the recirculation in annular jet pumps

Longzhou Xiao,Xinping LONG,Xiaohong Li,Qinglong Zeng,Xuelong Yang 대한기계학회 2013 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.27 No.6

The flow within the annular jet pump (AJP), in some degree, resembles the annular wall jet developing in a pipe with great axial pressure gradient. In some working conditions, there exists the backflow near the centerline. However this differs from the case in a center jet pump (CJP) that the recirculation emerges near the inner wall of the throat. The recirculation in AJP affects a lot to its performance, especially when AJP is utilized to convey something alive, such as fish. This paper aims to numerically study the impact of two parameters, the flow ratio M and the area ratio A, on the location, size and formation of the recirculation in AJP. After being validated by the experimental results, the RNG k-ε turbulent model was adopted. It is found that: (1) As M increases, the width and height of the recirculation in AJP decreases, and the separation point of the recirculation shifts gradually far away from the nozzle exit while the reattachment point slightly moves; (2) As A becomes larger, the width and height of the recirculation enlarged, with M keeping constant; (3) For AJP with constant A, the recirculation emerges when M declines to a critical value, and the value varies linearly with A; (4) The Craya-Curtet number Ct and the momentum ratio J, which take A and M into whole consideration, are also feasible in describing the disappearance of the recirculation. However the critical value of Ct and J are different from that discovered in CJP. The critical Ct increases with decreasing A and the critical momentum ratio Jc experiences a linear relationship with A.

Single-switch boost converter with extremely high step-up voltage gain

Hao, Yangyang,Li, Haibin,Li, Kai,Fang, Chengqun,Ding, Xinping The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2020 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.20 No.6

This paper presents a single-switch high-voltage gain DC-DC converter with a coupled-inductor. The proposed converter overcomes the drawbacks of traditional DC-DC converters such as insufficient boost capability and high stress on the devices. Its advantages include having a small number of switch devices, low voltage stress on the switch, and a high voltage gain. This paper analyzes the operating modes of the proposed converter in detail and derives the voltage/current stresses on the components. The efficiency of the converter and the power dissipation distribution are quantitatively studied. To verify the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed converter, a 200 W prototype was built in the laboratory. Experimental results obtained from the prototype match well with the theoretical analysis. The highest efficiency is equal to 95.82%, which can be obtained at half of the rated output power.

Substituting oat hay or maize silage for portion of alfalfa hay affects growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and nutrient digestibility of weaned calves

Yang Zou,XinPing Zou,XiZhi Li,Gang Guo,Peng Ji,Yan Wang,ShengLi Li,YaJing Wang,ZhiJun Cao 아세아·태평양축산학회 2018 Animal Bioscience Vol.31 No.3

Objective: The impact of forage feeding strategy on growth performance, ruminal fermentation and nutrient digestibility in post-weaning calves was investigated. Methods: Forty-five female Holstein calves (body weight [BW] = 79.79±0.38 kg) were enrolled in the 35-d study at one week after weaning and randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments. All diets were fed as total mixed ration containing 60% (dry matter [DM] basis) of basal starter feed and 40% (DM basis) of forage, but varied in composition of forage source including i) alfalfa (40% DM, AH); ii) alfalfa hay (26.7% DM)+oat hay (13.3% DM; OH); iii) alfalfa hay (26.7% DM)+corn silage (13.3% DM; WS). Results: Dry matter intake was not different among treatment groups (p>0.05). However, BW (p<0.05) and average daily gain (p<0.05) of calves fed AH and OH were greater than WS-fed calves, whereas heart girth was greater in OH-fed calves than those fed AH and WS (p<0.05). Ruminal fermentation parameters including proportion of butyric acid, acetated-to-propionate ratio, concentration of total volatile fatty acid, protozoal protein, bacterial protein, and microbial protein in rumen were the highest in OH (p<0.05) and the lowest in WS. Compared with the AH and WS, feeding oat hay to postweaning calves increased crude protein digestibility (p<0.05), and decreased duration of diarrhea (p<0.05) and fecal index (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggested that partially replacing alfalfa hay with oat hay improved ruminal fermentation, nitrogen utilization, and reduced incidence of diarrhea in post-weaning dairy calves.

A randomized controlled trial to compare the efficacy of regenerated and non-regenerated oxidized cellulose gauze for the secondary treatment of local bleeding in patients undergoing hepatic resection

Chengshuo Zhang,Dazhi Fu,Fengshan Wang,Xinping Zhong,Lei Yang,Gang Wu,Baifeng Li,Jialin Zhang 대한외과학회 2021 Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research(ASRT) Vol.100 No.4

Purpose: Oxidized cellulose is available in many forms, but manufactured using either a regenerated or non-regenerated process. In this study, we evaluated the effects of 2 different hemostatic agents for the treatment of local bleeding in patients undergoing hepatic resection. Methods: This was a monocentric, parallel-group, randomized, and controlled clinical trial to compare oxidized regenerated cellulose gauze (ORCG) with oxidized non-regenerated cellulose gauze (ONRCG) in patients undergoing hepatectomy. The primary endpoint was the time to hemostasis at the target bleeding site. The secondary endpoints were the postoperative drainage volume on the first 2 days after surgery and the hospital stay. Results: There was no significant difference between the ORCG and ONRCG groups in time to hemostasis from column analysis (238.8 ± 121.6 seconds vs. 193.7 ± 85.3 seconds, P = 0.068), and there were no differences in the rates of hemostatic success between the 2 groups at 120 seconds (18.4% vs. 24.3%; odds ratio [OR], 0.703; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.231–2.136) and 300 seconds (71.1% vs. 89.2%; OR, 0.298; 95% CI, 0.085–1.041). However, the ONRCG group was superior to the ORCG group in hemostasis according to the survival analysis (log-rank test, P = 0.044). Moreover, there were also no significant differences between the 2 groups in postoperative drainage volume on the first 2 days (P = 0.436, P = 0.381) and hospital stay (P = 0.537, P = 0.200). Conclusion: ONRCG was not inferior to ORCG as a hemostatic agent in patients undergoing liver resection.

Circ_0068655 Promotes Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis via miR-498/PAWR Axis

Chai Qiaoying,Zheng Mingqi,Wang Le,Wei Mei,Yin Yajuan,Ma Fangfang,Li Xinping,Zhang Haijun,Liu Gang 한국조직공학과 재생의학회 2020 조직공학과 재생의학 Vol.17 No.5

Background: The cardiomyocyte apoptosis is considered as one of major contributions to cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). Numerous studies find that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play pivotal roles in a variety of biological functions. However, the role of circ_0068655 in MI and human induced pluripotent stem-derived cardiomyocytes (HCMs) remains unknown. Methods: The expression of circ_0068655, miR-498, and PRKC apoptosis WT1 regulator (PAWR) in human MI heart tissues and hypoxia subjected HCMs was evaluated with qRT-PCR and Western blot. The effects of circ_0068655 on hypoxia-induced apoptotic death and cell migration in HCMs were evaluated with qRT-PCR, cell viability, cell death ELISA (POD), and Caspase-3 activity assay, and Trans-well assay, respectively. Furthermore, luciferase assay, qRT-PCR, biotin-labeled miRNA pulldown assay, and Western blot were employed in the functional studies. Results: We found that the expression of circ_0068655 and PAWR was enhanced in MI patients and hypoxia subjected HCMs; by contrast, the expression of miR-498 decreased. Inhibited expression of circ_0068655 in HMCs counteracted hypoxia-induced apoptotic death and impaired cell migration, in sharp contrast to circ_0068655 knockdown. We identified that circ_0068655 sponged an endogenous miR-498 to sequester and inhibit its activity, leading to the increased PAWR expression. Conclusions: Our findings reveal that the expression of circ_0068655 can promote cardiomyocyte apoptosis through the modulation of miR-498-PAWR axis in vitro, which highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic value of circ_0068655 in patients with MI.

Dark-Blood Computed Tomography Angiography Combined With Deep Learning Reconstruction for Cervical Artery Wall Imaging in Takayasu Arteritis

Su Tong,Zhang Zhe,Chen Yu,Wang Yun,Li Yumei,Xu Min,Wang Jian,Li Jing,Tian Xinping,Jin Zhengyu 대한영상의학회 2024 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.25 No.4

Objective: To evaluate the image quality of novel dark-blood computed tomography angiography (CTA) imaging combined with deep learning reconstruction (DLR) compared to delayed-phase CTA images with hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR), to visualize the cervical artery wall in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK). Materials and Methods: This prospective study continuously recruited 53 patients with TAK (mean age: 33.8 ± 10.2 years; 49 females) between January and July 2022 who underwent head-neck CTA scans. The arterial- and delayed-phase images were reconstructed using HIR and DLR. Subtracted images of the arterial-phase from the delayed-phase were then added to the original delayed-phase using a denoising filter to generate the final-dark-blood images. Qualitative image quality scores and quantitative parameters were obtained and compared among the three groups of images: Delayed-HIR, Dark-blood-HIR, and Dark-blood-DLR. Results: Compared to Delayed-HIR, Dark-blood-HIR images demonstrated higher qualitative scores in terms of vascular wall visualization and diagnostic confidence index (all P < 0.001). These qualitative scores further improved after applying DLR (Dark-blood-DLR compared to Dark-blood-HIR, all P < 0.001). Dark-blood DLR also showed higher scores for overall image noise than Dark-blood-HIR (P < 0.001). In the quantitative analysis, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) values between the vessel wall and lumen for the bilateral common carotid arteries and brachiocephalic trunk were significantly higher on Darkblood- HIR images than on Delayed-HIR images (all P < 0.05). The CNR values were significantly higher for Dark-blood-DLR than for Dark-blood-HIR in all cervical arteries (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: Compared with Delayed-HIR CTA, the dark-blood method combined with DLR improved CTA image quality and enhanced visualization of the cervical artery wall in patients with TAK.