| 1. |
- Fang, Du, et al.
(author)
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Increased neuronal PreP activity reduces A beta accumulation, attenuates neuroinflammation and improves mitochondrial and synaptic function in Alzheimer disease's mouse model
- 2015
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In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 24:18, s. 5198-5210
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Accumulation of amyloid-beta (A beta) in synaptic mitochondria is associated with mitochondrial and synaptic injury. The underlying mechanisms and strategies to eliminate A beta and rescue mitochondrial and synaptic defects remain elusive. Presequence protease (PreP), a mitochondrial peptidasome, is a novel mitochondrial A beta degrading enzyme. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that increased expression of active human PreP in cortical neurons attenuates Alzheimer disease's (AD)-like mitochondrial amyloid pathology and synaptic mitochondrial dysfunction, and suppresses mitochondrial oxidative stress. Notably, PreP-overexpressed AD mice show significant reduction in the production of proinflammatory mediators. Accordingly, increased neuronal PreP expression improves learning and memory and synaptic function in vivo AD mice, and alleviates A beta-mediated reduction of long-term potentiation (LTP). Our results provide in vivo evidence that PreP may play an important role in maintaining mitochondrial integrity and function by clearance and degradation of mitochondrial A beta along with the improvement in synaptic and behavioral function in AD mouse model. Thus, enhancing PreP activity/expression may be a new therapeutic avenue for treatment of AD.
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| 2. |
- Liu, Yuanfeng, et al.
(author)
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Exploring Gut Microbiota in Patients with Colorectal Disease Based on 16S rRNA Gene Amplicon and Shallow Metagenomic Sequencing
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-889X. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The gastrointestinal tract, the largest human microbial reservoir, is highly dynamic. The gut microbes play essential roles in causing colorectal diseases. In the present study, we explored potential keystone taxa during the development of colorectal diseases in central China. Fecal samples of some patients were collected and were allocated to the adenoma (Group A), colorectal cancer (Group C), and hemorrhoid (Group H) groups. The 16S rRNA amplicon and shallow metagenomic sequencing (SMS) strategies were used to recover the gut microbiota. Microbial diversities obtained from 16S rRNA amplicon and SMS data were similar. Group C had the highest diversity, although no significant difference in diversity was observed among the groups. The most dominant phyla in the gut microbiota of patients with colorectal diseases were Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria, accounting for >95% of microbes in the samples. The most abundant genera in the samples were Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Escherichia/Shigella, and further species-level and network analyses identified certain potential keystone taxa in each group. Some of the dominant species, such as Prevotella copri, Bacteroides dorei, and Bacteroides vulgatus, could be responsible for causing colorectal diseases. The SMS data recovered diverse antibiotic resistance genes of tetracycline, macrolide, and beta-lactam, which could be a result of antibiotic overuse. This study explored the gut microbiota of patients with three different types of colorectal diseases, and the microbial diversity results obtained from 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and SMS data were found to be similar. However, the findings of this study are based on a limited sample size, which warrants further large-scale studies. The recovery of gut microbiota profiles in patients with colorectal diseases could be beneficial for future diagnosis and treatment with modulation of the gut microbiota. Moreover, SMS data can provide accurate species- and gene-level information, and it is economical. It can therefore be widely applied in future clinical metagenomic studies.
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| 3. |
- Ma, Li, et al.
(author)
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The Poverty of Farmers in a Main Grain-Producing Area in Northeast China
- 2022
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In: Land. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-445X. ; 11:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Farmers' poverty has long been of global concern, mainly in poor rather than affluent areas. The goal of this paper is to better understand the range of poverty in the context of regional differentiation and to enrich knowledge on farmers' poverty in affluent areas and areas with good natural conditions. A questionnaire survey of poor farmers in the major grain-producing area of Changchun, Northeast China was conducted. Farmers' poverty was studied from income poverty and multidimensional poverty by intertwining qualitative and quantitative methods. The results indicate that low education levels and poor physical health were most prevalent in poor farmers, followed by income poverty and low living standards. Governmental policies and the macroeconomic situation in the agricultural sector, non-agricultural employment, aging, cultivated land, and family size correlated closely with farmers' poverty. The macro changes in policies and global trade liberalization in the agricultural sector impacted farmers' income through the prices of agricultural products and subsidies and influenced the effect of cultivated land. For poor farmers, the effect of employment opportunities in villages was more significant than in urban areas. Aging remains a challenge for farmers' poverty now and in the future.
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| 4. |
- Ma, Li, et al.
(author)
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Understanding the spatiality of the rural poor's livelihoods in Northeast China : Geographical context, location and urban hierarchy
- 2023
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In: Applied Geography. - : Elsevier BV. - 0143-6228 .- 1873-7730. ; 152
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The livelihoods approach has become dominant for understanding poverty issues and advising on development policies. Spatial perspectives have been increasingly recognised to be important for understanding the increasing complexity and dynamics of livelihoods with regional development, urbanisation and close rural-urban interactions. This study further develops this perspective by highlighting the concepts of geographical context, location and urban hierarchy and adopts a multi-scalar analytical approach. The study examines the rural poor's livelihood strategies in Jilin Province of China based on two surveys conducted with about 3000 households in total and multiple logistic regression analysis. Our results demonstrate that half of the rural poor depend on incomes and livelihood strategies without labour input. From a macro-spatial view, the rural poor living in the Western and Eastern Areas, which have more challenging geographical contexts, are more dependent on subsidy income. From a micro-spatial view, rural livelihoods change, with spatial patterns depending on distance to urban areas and the type of these areas; small and medium-sized urban areas are more important for the rural poor's livelihoods. Geographical context makes these urban effects on rural livelihoods spatially more heterogeneous. Spatial understandings of livelihoods research help to better target and tailor poverty alleviation policies.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Wang, Shijun, et al.
(author)
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Electrochemical and Electrogenerated Chemiluminescent Studies of a Trinuclear Complex, [((phen)2Ru(dpp))2RhCl2]5+, and Its Interactions with Calf Thymus DNA
- 2009
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In: Analytical Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0003-2700 .- 1520-6882. ; 81:10, s. 4068-4075
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The electrochemical behavior of a trinuclear ruthenium(II)-containing complex, [((phen)2Ru(dpp))2RhCl2]5+ (where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, dpp = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine), was studied in acetonitrile (MeCN) and aqueous solutions. In MeCN containing 0.10 M tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate (TBAP), the complex displayed a reversible, overlapping RuII/III redox process with E1/2 = +1.21 V vs Ag/Ag+ (10 mM), an irreversible reduction of RhIII/I at −0.73 V vs Ag/Ag+, and two quasi-reversible dpp/dpp− couples with E1/2 = −1.11 and −1.36 V vs Ag/Ag+ at a Pt electrode with a scan rate of 50 mV s−1. In 0.20 M Tris buffer solution (pH 7.4), an irreversible, overlapping RuII/III oxidation at +1.48 V vs Ag/AgCl (3 M KCl), and an irreversible reduction of RhIII/II at −0.78 V vs Ag/AgCl were observed at a glassy carbon electrode with a scan rate of 50 mV/s. Investigations on the electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of the complex revealed that 2-(dibutylamino) ethanol (DBAE) was superior to tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) as an ECL coreactant within their entire concentration range of 10−100 mM in MeCN, and in aqueous media, as low as 1.0 nM of the complex can be detected using TPrA coreactant ECL. A maximum ECL emission of 640 nm, which is about 55 nm blue shift to its fluorescence, was observed in MeCN with DBAE as a coreactant. Interactions of the complex with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) were conducted with a flow-cell based quartz-crystal microbalance, and a binding constant of 2.5 × 105 M−1 was calculated on the basis of the Langmuir isotherm equation.
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| 7. |
- Wu, Zhenjing, et al.
(author)
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Mathematical Modeling and Performance Analysis of Seawater Heat Exchanger in Closed-Loop Seawater-Source Heat Pump System
- 2019
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In: Journal of energy engineering. - : ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS. - 0733-9402 .- 1943-7897. ; 145:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The seawater source heat pump (SWHP) utilizes low-grade energy from seawater to satisfy heating/cooling requirements of coastal buildings. Compared with the open-loop SWHP system, the closed-loop system is more stable and reliable when used in cold regions because the seawater heat exchanger can mitigate icing and corrosion problems. This study established mathematical modeling for the seawater heat exchanger, which was validated by the experimental results, to estimate the heat transfer performance. The thermal performance of the seawater heat exchanger under different operating conditions was predicted, and the effects of several key parameters on thermal resistance were analyzed. The results revealed that the pipe wall thermal resistance of the original heat exchanger was the most important factor limiting the heat transfer. Hence, a cost analysis of the heat exchangers with different pipe materials was conducted, and the steel pipe with anticorrosive coating was proven to be optimal in reducing pipe wall thermal resistance and economy. The findings are useful in designing and optimizing the seawater heat exchanger and promoting the application of ocean thermal energy.
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| 8. |
- Yao, Xingang, et al.
(author)
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Inhibition of dengue viral infection by diasarone-I is associated with 2'O methyltransferase of NS5
- 2018
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In: European Journal of Pharmacology. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 0014-2999 .- 1879-0712. ; 821, s. 11-20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dengue virus (DENV) is the most prevalent mosquito borne viral pathogen worldwide. However, antiviral drugs against this infection are not available. To identify novel anti-DENV compound from traditional Chinese medicine, we discovered the ethanol extract of Acorus tatarinowii Schott containing potent anti-DENV activity and diasarone-I was isolated from this extract. Diasarone-I has antiviral effect with half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of 4.5μM and half maximal cytotoxicity concentration (CC50) of >80μM. Time of drug addition assay suggested that this compound inhibited at RNA replication step in the DENV life cycle. Further, in silico analysis indicated that diasarone-I might act as an inhibitor of 2'O Methyltransferase of NS5. Diasarone-I has also decreased the DENV2-induced STAT1 phosphorylation and ISGs. In summary, we suggest that diasarone-I may be a 2'O Methyltransferase inhibitor and might serve as a potential candidate for the treatment of DENV2 infections. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.
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| 9. |
- Yao, Xingang, et al.
(author)
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Q63, a novel DENV2 RdRp non-nucleoside inhibitor, inhibited DENV2 replication and infection
- 2018
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In: Journal of Pharmacological Sciences. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 1347-8613 .- 1347-8648. ; 138:4, s. 247-256
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dengue virus (DENV) annually infects 400 million people worldwide. Unfortunately, there is lack ofwidely protective vaccine or drugs against DENV. The viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) ofNS5 protein is highly conserved among different DENV subtypes, thus presenting itself as an attractivetarget for drug design. In the current research, SPRi was performed to screen compounds against DENV2RdRp and 5(1H)-Quinazolinone,2-(4-bromophenyl)-2,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-7,7-dimethyl-1,3-diphenyl(Q63) was successfully screened out with a KD of 0.9 mM. Then, ITC and molecular docking assay wasperformed to access the binding mechanism between Q63 and DENV2 RdRp. Meanwhile, Q63 alsodecreased the intermediate dsRNA production, which was the product of RdRp. Further the antiviraleffects of Q63 were evaluated on mosquito C6/36 cells and mammalian BHK-21 cells. Q63 reduced CPEand cell toxicity effect after DENV2 infection on C6/36 and BHK-21 cells, with an EC50 of 2.08 mM. Time ofaddition assay revealed that Q63 affected the early genome RNA replication stage, including genome RNAreplication. In addition, Q63 down-regulated STAT1 phosphorylation, ISG15 and ISG54 after DENV2infection. In summary, Q63 was found to be a novel RdRp non-nucleoside inhibitor and a potential leadcompound for coping with DENV infectious disease in the future. © 2018 The Authors.
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