Schema Theorem Based on Probability for Multigenic Chromosomes Genes Expression Programming

Huifang Cheng,Jianli Zhao,Haitao Wang 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of Security and Its Applicat Vol.10 No.1

Schema theorem is the theoretical foundation of the evolutionary algorithm. This paper focuses on a new, and general schema theory for multigenic chromosomes gene expression programming. The theory is applicable to every operator in GEP via the method of probability. Not only the destruction but also the creation probability of the schema is considered in the evolutionary process. An equivalent form of general schema theory of GEP was deduced. The result shows that the individuals with high fitness values, shorter schema order, more function nodes, and the shorter the insertion sequence have the greater transmission probability than the average ones.

A single-tube approach for in vitro diagnostics using diatomaceous earth and optical sensor

Zhao, Fei,Koo, Bonhan,Liu, Huifang,Eun Jin, Choong,Shin, Yong Elsevier 2018 Biosensors & bioelectronics Vol.99 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Versatile, simple and efficient sample preparation is desirable for point-of-care testing of emerging diseases such as zoonoses, but current sample preparation assays are insensitive, labour-intensive and time-consuming and require multiple instruments. We developed a single-tube sample preparation approach involving direct pathogen enrichment and extraction from human specimens using diatomaceous earth (DE). Amine-modified DE was used to directly enrich a zoonotic pathogen, <I>Brucella</I>, in a large sample volume. Next, a complex of amine-modified DE and dimethyl suberimidate was used for nucleic acid extraction from the enriched pathogen. Using our single-tube approach, the pathogen can be enriched and extracted within 60min at a level of 1 colony formation unit (CFU) from a 1ml sample volume in the same tube. The performance of this approach is 10–100 times better than that of a commercial kit (10<SUP>2</SUP> to 10<SUP>3</SUP> CFU/ml) but does not require a large centrifuge. Finally, we combined the single-tube approach with a bio-optical sensor for rapid and accurate zoonotic pathogen detection in human urine samples. Using the combination system, <I>Brucella</I> in human urine can be efficiently enriched (~ 8-fold) and the detection limit is enhanced by up to 100 times (1CFU/ml bacteria in urine) compared with the commercial kit. This combined system is fast and highly sensitive and thus represents a promising approach for disease diagnosis in the clinical setting.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> A single-tube sample preparation approach involving direct pathogen enrichment and extraction. </LI> <LI> Pathogen can be enriched and extracted within 60min at a level of 1 colony. </LI> <LI> Combination of the single-tube approach with a bio-optical sensor for rapid and accurate zoonotic pathogen detection. </LI> <LI> This system can be efficiently enriched (~ 8-fold) and the detection limit is enhanced by up to 100 times. </LI> </UL> </P>

Beyond Canonical PROTAC: Biological targeted protein degradation (bioTPD)

Huifang Wang,Runhua Zhou,Fushan Xu,Kongjun Yang,Liuhai Zheng,Pan Zhao,Guangwei Shi,Lingyun Dai,Chengchao Xu,Le Yu,Zhijie Li,Jianhong Wang,Jigang Wang 한국생체재료학회 2023 생체재료학회지 Vol.27 No.00

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is an emerging therapeutic strategy with the potential to modulate disease associated proteins that have previously been considered undruggable, by employing the host destructionmachinery. The exploration and discovery of cellular degradation pathways, including but not limited toproteasomes and lysosome pathways as well as their degraders, is an area of active research. Since the conceptof proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) was introduced in 2001, the paradigm of TPD has been greatlyexpanded and moved from academia to industry for clinical translation, with small-molecule TPD being particularlyrepresented. As an indispensable part of TPD, biological TPD (bioTPD) technologies including peptide-, fusionprotein-, antibody-, nucleic acid-based bioTPD and others have also emerged and undergone significantadvancement in recent years, demonstrating unique and promising activities beyond those of conventional small molecule TPD. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advances in bioTPD technologies, summarize theircompositional features and potential applications, and briefly discuss their drawbacks. Moreover, we present somestrategies to improve the delivery efficacy of bioTPD, addressing their challenges in further clinical development.

Large Instrument- and Detergent-Free Assay for Ultrasensitive Nucleic Acids Isolation via Binary Nanomaterial

Liu, Huifang,Zhao, Fei,Jin, Choong Eun,Koo, Bonhan,Lee, Eun Yeong,Zhong, Linlin,Yun, Kyusik,Shin, Yong American Chemical Society 2018 ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY - Vol.90 No.8

<P>Nucleic acid-based diagnostics are widely used for clinical applications due to their powerful recognition of biomolecule properties. Isolation and purification of nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA in the diagnostic system have been severely hampered in point-of-care testing because of low recovery yields, degradation of nucleic acids due to the use of chaotropic detergent and high temperature, and the requirement of large instruments such as centrifuges and thermal controllers. Here, we report a novel large instrument- and detergent-free assay via binary nanomaterial for ultrasensitive nucleic acid isolation and detection from cells (eukaryotic and prokaryotic). This binary nanomaterial couples a zinc oxide nanomultigonal shuttle (ZnO NMS) for cell membrane rupture without detergent and temperature control and diatomaceous earth with dimethyl suberimidate complex (DDS) for the capture and isolation of nucleic acids (NA) from cells. The ZnO NMS was synthesized to a size of 500 nm to permit efficient cell lysis at room temperature within 2 min using the biological, chemical, and physical properties of the nanomaterial. By combining the ZnO NMS with the DDS and proteinase K, the nucleic acid extraction could be completed in 15 min with high quantity and quality. For bacterial cells, DNA isolation with the binary nanomaterial yielded 100 times more DNA, than a commercial spin column based reference kit, as determined by the NanoDrop spectrophotometer. We believe that this binary nanomaterial will be a useful tool for rapid and sensitive nucleic acid isolation and detection without large instruments and detergent in the field of molecular diagnostics.</P> [FIG OMISSION]</BR>

The Core Knowledge and Skills of Nursing Competency Regarding Mealtime Assistance for Hemiplegic Patients in China

Chen Huifang,Nakatani Hisae,Liu Ting,Zhao Haiwei,Xie Di 한국간호과학회 2020 Asian Nursing Research Vol.14 No.2

Purpose: Hemiplegic patients often experience malnutrition and feeding risks due to disabilities and inadequate nursing support; nursing roles regarding mealtime assistance remain unclear in China. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the core knowledge and skills of nursing competency regarding mealtime assistance for hemiplegic patients in China. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of self-administered questionnaire to 640 nurses (response rate: 57.7%) from two tertiary teaching hospitals and two sanatoriums was conducted. Survey content included 25 items regarding the mealtime assistance competency plus 6 items on demographic characteristics. The factor structure of the 25 items was explored and verified by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha. Results: Three factors including 22 items with a cumulative rate of 60.9% were identified: “Assistance knowledge and skills for acute period”, “Knowledge about assistance and guidance for recovery period,” and “Professional basic knowledge regarding hemiplegia.” Its reliability was ensured with Cronbach's alpha ranging from .86 to .96. In addition, evidence for its construct validity was obtained, as structural equation modeling revealed a good fit to the data within the allowable range based on various fit indices. Conclusion: This study clarified the core knowledge and skills regarding mealtime assistance competency for hemiplegic patients, with “Assistance for acute period” most concerned, followed by “assistance and guidance for recovery period,” and “Professional basic knowledge,” and the latter two need more attention. Obtained results can provide useful evidence for competent nursing practice to improve the quality of mealtime assistance for hemiplegic patients in China.

Efficient (3R)-Acetoin Production from meso-2,3-Butanediol Using a New Whole-Cell Biocatalyst with Co-Expression of meso-2,3-Butanediol Dehydrogenase, NADH Oxidase, and Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin

( Zewang Guo ),( Xihua Zhao ),( Yuanzhi He ),( Tianxing Yang ),( Huifang Gao ),( Ganxin Li ),( Feixue Chen ),( Meijing Sun ),( Jung-kul Lee ),( Liaoyuan Zhang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2017 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.27 No.1

Acetoin (AC) is a volatile platform compound with various potential industrial applications. AC contains two stereoisomeric forms: (3S)-AC and (3R)-AC. Optically pure AC is an important potential intermediate and widely used as a precursor to synthesize novel optically active materials. In this study, chiral (3R)-AC production from meso-2,3-butanediol (meso-2,3-BD) was obtained using recombinant Escherichia coli cells co-expressing meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (meso-2,3-BDH), NADH oxidase (NOX), and hemoglobin protein (VHB) from Serratia sp. T241, Lactobacillus brevis, and Vitreoscilla, respectively. The new biocatalyst of E. coli/pET-mbdh-nox-vgb was developed and the bioconversion conditions were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, 86.74 g/l of (3R)-AC with the productivity of 3.61 g/l/h and the stereoisomeric purity of 97.89% was achieved from 93.73 g/l meso-2,3-BD using the whole-cell biocatalyst. The yield and productivity were new records for (3R)-AC production. The results exhibit the industrial potential for (3R)-AC production via whole-cell biocatalysis.

Construction of polysulfone anion exchange hybrid membranes by incorporating carbon quantum dots and facilitated transport mechanisms

Yuan Jin,Xiu Zhang,Tianci Feng,Mei-Sheng Li,Huifang Xiao,Shouyong Zhou,Yijiang Zhao,Jing Zhong,Dawei Yang 한국공업화학회 2022 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.115 No.-

Low ion conductivity and poor alkali resistance are still the two major obstacles for the applications ofanion exchange membranes (AEMs). In this work, the combined strategies of Carbon quantum dots(CQDs) hybrid and cross-linking modification via side-chains designing were employed to prepareorganic–inorganic hybrid AEMs. Then, the cross-linked quaternized polysulfone (CQPSf-CQDs) hybridAEMs by incorporating carbon quantum dots were successfully fabricated. After hybrid and crosslinking,the mechanical properties of CQPSf-CQDs hybrid AEMs were higher than that of the pristineone, reaching 49.4 MPa for the best one. Meanwhile, the existence of CQDs can expand the hydrophilicarea in the membrane, which is beneficial to the transport of OH. The incorporated CQDs interact weaklywith cationic groups in the side chains through hydrogen bonds. The simulation results further demonstratedthat the introduction of CQDs was beneficial to the construction of hydrophilic and hydrophobicdomains, thereby increasing OH conductivity. In addition, the prepared hybrid membranes own excellentdimensional stabilities and ion transport performances. These preliminary results give us a lot ofhopes for further experiments and optimizations for the hybrid AEMs.

Association between Initial Chest CT or Clinical Features and Clinical Course in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia

Liu Zhe,Jin Chao,Wu Carol C.,Liang Ting,Zhao Huifang,Wang Yan,Wang Zekun,Li Fen,Zhou Jie,Cai Shubo,Zeng Lingxia,Yang Jian 대한영상의학회 2020 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.21 No.6

Objective: To identify the initial chest computed tomography (CT) findings and clinical characteristics associated with the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Materials and Methods: Baseline CT scans and clinical and laboratory data of 72 patients admitted with COVID-19 pneumonia (39 men, 46.2 ± 15.9 years) were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline CT findings including lobar distribution, presence of ground glass opacities, consolidation, linear opacities, and lung severity score were evaluated. The outcome event was recovery with hospital discharge. The time from symptom onset to discharge or the end of follow-up (for those remained hospitalized) was recorded. Data were censored in events such as death or discharge without recovery. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to explore the association between initial CT, clinical or laboratory findings, and discharge with recovery, whereby hazard ratio (HR) values < 1 indicated a lower rate of discharge at four weeks and longer time until discharge. Results: Thirty-two patients recovered and were discharged during the study period with a median length of admission of 16 days (range, 9 to 25 days), while the rest remained hospitalized at the end of this study (median, 17.5 days; range, 4 to 27 days). None died during the study period. After controlling for age, onset time, lesion characteristics, number of lung lobes affected, and bilateral involvement, the lung severity score on baseline CT (> 4 vs. ≤ 4 [reference]: adjusted HR = 0.41 [95% confidence interval, CI = 0.18–0.92], p = 0.031) and initial lymphocyte count (reduced vs. normal or elevated [reference]: adjusted HR = 0.14 [95% CI = 0.03–0.60], p = 0.008) were two significant independent factors that influenced recovery and discharge. Conclusion: Lung severity score > 4 and reduced lymphocyte count at initial evaluation were independently associated with a significantly lower rate of recovery and discharge and extended hospitalization in patients admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia.

Proteasome subunit beta type 1 interacts directly with Rheb and regulates the cell cycle in Cashmere goat fetal fibroblasts

Yanfeng Wang,Xudong Guo,Zhigang Wang,Zhixin Guo,Mingtao Liu,Keyu Zhao,Xue Feng,Xu Zheng,Xiaojing Wang,Huifang Hao 한국통합생물학회 2017 Animal cells and systems Vol.21 No.5

PSMB1 (proteasome subunit beta type 1) is a core component of the 20S proteasome, and based on its structure, it might have a crucial function in the transcription of certain genes. Rheb (Ras homolog enriched in brain) is a Ras-like small GTPase that acts as an upstream positive regulator of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. We cloned and characterized PSMB1 (KY310590.1) to determine its function in cell cycle progression and proliferation of goat fetal fibroblasts (GFbs). Further, by yeast two-hybrid screen and coimmunoprecipitation, we conformed that PSMB1 interacts directly with Rheb. An siRNA was designed and expressed targeting PSMB1 mRNA in GFbs and inducing cell cycle arrest. Rheb overexpression in GFbs significantly increased the number of S phase cells and growth efficiency compared with control cells. These data indicate that PSMB1 and Rheb have important functions in the cell cycle and proliferation of GFbs, indicating that their interaction governs many processes in GFbs.