Probiotics-loaded microcapsules from gas-assisted microfluidics for inflammatory bowel disease treatment

Xiaowei Yang,Cuihong Li,Hai Yu,Jinping Tang,Qinfang Wu,Wenjuan Qu 한국고분자학회 2023 Macromolecular Research Vol.31 No.8

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a kind of chronic inflammatory disease that is difficult to cure completely and may cause cancer. Modulating the intestinal flora is believed to be a feasible approach for IBD treatment. However, the traditional probiotics delivery systems often suffer from the inactivation caused by gastric acid. Herein, we proposed a novel probiotics-loaded microcapsule generated from a gas-assisted microfluidic platform. The microcapsules were composed of alginate shells and probiotics-containing cores, and exhibited good sphericity and biocompatibility, and had an average size of about 325 μm and a coefficient of variation of 2.57%. When the probiotics-loaded microcapsules were used for the IBD treatment of mice, they displayed good therapeutic effects in modulating oxidative stress and inflammation as well as protecting the intestinal barrier. These features indicate that the prepared probiotics-loaded microcapsules could be used as new materials for IBD treatment.

Root hair‐specific expansins modulate root hair elongation in rice

ZhiMing, Yu,Bo, Kang,XiaoWei, He,ShaoLei, Lv,YouHuang, Bai,WoNa, Ding,Ming, Chen,Hyung‐,Taeg, Cho,Ping, Wu Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 The Plant journal Vol.66 No.5

<P><B>Summary</B></P><P>Root hair growth requires intensive cell‐wall modification. This study demonstrates that root hair‐specific expansin As, a sub‐clade of the cell wall‐loosening expansin proteins, are required for root hair elongation in rice (<I>Oryza sativa</I> L.). We identified a gene encoding <I>EXPA17</I> (<I>OsEXPA17</I>) from a rice mutant with short root hairs. Promoter::reporter transgenic lines exhibited exclusive <I>OsEXPA17</I> expression in root hair cells. The OsEXPA17 mutant protein (OsexpA17) contained a point mutation, causing a change in the amino acid sequence (Gly104→Arg). This amino acid alteration is predicted to disrupt a highly conserved disulfide bond in the mutant. Suppression of <I>OsEXPA17</I> by RNA interference further confirmed requirement for the gene in root hair elongation. Complementation of the <I>OsEXPA17</I> mutant with other root hair EXPAs (OsEXPA30 and Arabidopsis EXPA7) can restore root hair elongation, indicating functional conservation of these root hair EXPAs in monocots and dicots. These results demonstrate that members of the root hair EXPA sub‐clade play a crucial role in root hair cell elongation in Graminaceae.</P>

Upregulation of miR-20b Protects Against Cerebral Ischemic Stroke by Targeting Thioredoxin Interacting Protein (TXNIP)

Dejiang Yang,Yu Tan,Huanhuan Li,Xiaowei Zhang,Xinming Li,Feng Zhou 한국뇌신경과학회 2021 Experimental Neurobiology Vol.30 No.2

Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is involved in abnormal development and pathophysiology in the brain. Although miR-20b plays essential roles in various human diseases, its function in cerebral ischemic stroke remains unclear. A cell model of oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) and A rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) were constructed. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to evaluate the expression of miR-20b and TXNIP. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay, and cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Targetscan and Starbase were used to predict the potential targets of miR-20b. Luciferase reporter assay was applied to determine the interaction between miR-20b and TXNIP. Rescue experiments were conducted to confirm the functions of miR-20b/TXNIP axis in cerebral ischemic stroke. MiR-20b was significantly downregulated after I/R both in vitro and in vivo. Upregulation of miR-20b inhibited OGD/R-induced neurons apoptosis and attenuated ischemic brain injury in rat model. Bioinformatic prediction suggested that TXNIP might be a target of miR-20b, and luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-20b negatively regulated TXNIP expression by directly binding to the 3’-UTR of TXNIP. Downregulation of TXNIP inhibited OGD/R-induced neurons apoptosis in vitro and ischemic brain injury in vivo. Rescue experiments indicated that downregulation of TXNIP effectively reversed the effect of miR-20b inhibitor in neurons apoptosis after OGD/R-treatment and ischemic brain injury in a mouse model after MCAO/R-treatment. Our study demonstrated that upregulation of miR-20b protected the brain from ischemic brain injury by targeting TXNIP, extending our understanding of miRNAs in cerebral ischemic stroke

Key Technologies of Supercapacitor Energy Storage System of IP Transmitter

Zhihui Zeng,Xiaowei Wang,Yanfang Wei,Zhiguo Hu,Yangxiao Yu,Zhigang Zhang 전력전자학회 2019 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.19 No.1

A practical application of a supercapacitor energy storage system in a polarization instrument is proposed on the basis of theenergy storage requirements of an induced polarization (IP) transmitter for geophysical exploration. We focused on the energystorage system of a supercapacitor, the topology of the power converter, and the system control strategy as key technologies, andwe performed theoretical research and experimental tests on the system and developed an experimental platform. Theexperiments validated the theoretical research on the key technologies of the supercapacitor energy storage system anddemonstrated the effectiveness of the innovation. Results showed that the storage system is efficient and satisfies the energystorage needs of the IP transmitter.

eDNA-based bioassessment of coastal sediments impacted by an oil spill

Xie, Yuwei,Zhang, Xiaowei,Yang, Jianghua,Kim, Seonjin,Hong, Seongjin,Giesy, John P.,Yim, Un Hyuk,Shim, Won Joon,Yu, Hongxia,Khim, Jong Seong Elsevier 2018 Environmental pollution Vol.238 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Oil spills offshore can cause long-term ecological effects on coastal marine ecosystems. Despite their important ecological roles in the cycling of energy and nutrients in food webs, effects on bacteria, protists or arthropods are often neglected. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding was applied to characterize changes in the structure of micro- and macro-biota communities of surface sediments over a 7-year period since the occurrence of <I>Hebei Spirit</I> oil <I>spil</I>l on December 7, 2007. Alterations in diversities and structures of micro- and macro-biota were observed in the contaminated area where concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were greater. Successions of bacterial, protists and metazoan communities revealed long-term ecological effects of residual oil. Residual oil dominated the largest cluster of the community-environment association network. Presence of bacterial families (<I>Aerococcaceae</I> and <I>Carnobacteriaceae</I>) and the protozoan family (<I>Platyophryidae</I>) might have conferred sensitivity of communities to oil pollution. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial families (<I>Anaerolinaceae</I>, <I>Desulfobacteraceae</I>, <I>Helicobacteraceae</I> and <I>Piscirickettsiaceae</I>) and algal family (<I>Araphid pennate</I>) were resistant to adverse effects of spilt oil. The protistan family (<I>Subulatomonas</I>) and arthropod families (<I>Folsomia</I>, <I>Sarcophagidae Opomyzoidea,</I> and <I>Anomura</I>) appeared to be positively associated with residual oil pollution. eDNA metabarcoding can provide a powerful tool for assessing effects of anthropogenic pollution, such as oil spills on sediment communities and its long-term trends in coastal marine environments.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Long-term ecological impact on coastal sediment community by an oil spill were accessed by eDNA metabarcoding. </LI> <LI> Residual oils altered the alpha-diversity, beta-diversity and compositions of multiple sedimentary communities. </LI> <LI> The largest cluster of the sedimentary community-environment association network was dominated by residual oils. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Key Technologies of Supercapacitor Energy Storage System of IP Transmitter

Zeng, Zhihui,Wang, Xiaowei,Wei, Yanfang,Hu, Zhiguo,Yu, Yangxiao,Zhang, Zhigang The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2019 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.19 No.1

A practical application of a supercapacitor energy storage system in a polarization instrument is proposed on the basis of the energy storage requirements of an induced polarization (IP) transmitter for geophysical exploration. We focused on the energy storage system of a supercapacitor, the topology of the power converter, and the system control strategy as key technologies, and we performed theoretical research and experimental tests on the system and developed an experimental platform. The experiments validated the theoretical research on the key technologies of the supercapacitor energy storage system and demonstrated the effectiveness of the innovation. Results showed that the storage system is efficient and satisfies the energy storage needs of the IP transmitter.

Physical, Chemical Properties and Structural Changes of Zaodan Pickled by Vacuum Decompression Technology

Naxin Sun,Huiping Liu,Xiaowei Zhang,Hongni Wang,Shaojuan Liu,Pei Chen,Weijie Yu,Kai Liu 한국축산식품학회 2018 한국축산식품학회지 Vol.38 No.2

To shorten the production cycle of Zaodan, this study first pickled Zaodan by a novel technology -vacuum decompression technology. Vacuum decompression technology could reduce the pickling time of Zaodan from 20wkto about 9wk.The protein content, moisture and pH of the Zaodan egg white gradually decreased with a concomitant increase in salt during the pickling process. The total sulfhydryl group (SH) group content of the egg white proteins was increased to 2.43×10-3mol/L after being pickled for 30 d, whereas the content of disulphide bonds (SS) was reduced to 23.35×10-3mol/L. The surface hydrophobicity was lowest after pickling for 30 d. In addition, great changes occurred in the secondary structure of the egg white proteins after pickling for 20 d. The disappearance of ovomucin was noticeable based on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis.

Preparation and characterization of Cu2FeSnS4 thin films for solar cells via a co-electrodeposition method

Jicheng Zhou,Shiqi Yu,Xiaowei Guo,Liang Wu,Hongjiang Li 한국물리학회 2019 Current Applied Physics Vol.19 No.2

Quaternary stannite semiconductor Cu2FeSnS4 (CFTS), which is an ideal material for solar photovoltaic cells, has attracted widespread attention. CFTS crystals have been successfully synthesized by the co-electrochemical deposition method. The structure, morphology, and composition of as-synthesized samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), respectively. From the results, it was found that the properties of the sample can be improved by tuning the Cu2+ concentration in the electrolyte, and the best sample was obtained with the Cu2+ concentration of 0.01 M. For the best sample, the CFTS thin films have single phase and good crystallinity with even particle size. By the addition of ascorbic acid, an effective way has been found to enhance the Fe content in the sample, and the reason for the Fe-poor phenomenon has also been explored.

Cu2O Nanoparticles and Multi-Branched Nanowires as Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Xu Chen,Chunxin Yu,Xiaojiao Guo,Qinsong Bi,Muhammad Sajjad,Yang Ren,Xiaowei Zhou,Zhu Liu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2018 NANO Vol.13 No.09

Novelty Cu2O multi-branched nanowires and nanoparticles with size ranging from ~15 nm to ~60 nm have been synthesized by one-step hydrothermal process. These Cu2O nanostructures when used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries exhibit the excellent electrochemical cycling stability and reduced polarization during the repeated charge/discharge process. The specific capacity of the Cu2O nanoparticles, multi-branched nanowires and microscale are maintained at 201.2 mAh/g, 259.6mAh/g and 127.4 mAh/g, respectively, under the current density of 0.1 A/g after 50 cycles. The enhanced electrochemical performance of the Cu2O nanostructures compared with microscale counterpart can be attributed to the larger contact area between active Cu2O nanostructures/electrolyte interface, shorter diffusion length of Li+ within nanostructures and the improved stress release upon lithiation/delithiation.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Rhizoctonia solani-resistant and -Susceptible Rice Cultivars Reveals the Importance of Pathogen Recognition and Active Immune Responses in Host Resistance

Guo-Liang Wang,Shaohong Qu,Zhengjie Yuan,Yu Zhang,Guojuan Xu,Dongling Bi,Haiyan Qu,Xiaowei Zou,Xiaoqing Gao,Haihe Yang,Haiyan He,Xuli Wang,Jiandong Bao,Shimin Zuo,Xuebiao Pan,Bo Zhou 한국식물학회 2018 Journal of Plant Biology Vol.61 No.3

Rice sheath blight (SB), caused by Rhizoctoniasolani (R. solani), is a major threat to rice productionworldwide. The molecular mechanisms of the SB resistancein rice are poorly understood. The transcriptomes of the SBresistantrice cultivar YSBR1 and the susceptible cultivarLemont were analyzed after R. solani infection. A total of7624 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identifiedat one or more timepoints in a cultivar. 5526 and 5618 DEGswere differentially expressed in Lemont and YSBR1,respectively. YSBR1 exhibited stronger and earlier transcriptionalresponse to R. solani than Lemont. Gene ontology enrichmentanalysis revealed that genes that encode cell wall-modifyingand glycosyl-degrading enzymes or anti-microbial proteinswere specifically induced in YSBR1 at 6 hpi. MapMananalysis revealed that more DEGs related with cell wall, β-glucanses, respiratory burst, phenylpropanoids and ligninwere highly induced by R. solani in YSBR1 than in Lemont. The results also showed that receptor-like kinases and jasmonicacid signaling may play important roles in host resistance toR. solani. This study highlights potential candidate genes andsignaling pathways involved in rice sheath resistance and canhelp to further clarify the mechanistic events underlyingresistance and susceptibility to R. solani.