Wei sheng yan jiu = Journal of hygiene research, 2009
To explore the significance of Hey, the gene polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase... more To explore the significance of Hey, the gene polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677 T and cystathionine beta- synthase (CBS844) ins68 in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) with coronary heart disease (CHD) in China. Methods We selected 70 patients with type 2 DM and CHD, 71 type 2 diabetes patients, and 85 controls in Han nationality from northern China. Hey levels were measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) and the plasma folate and vitamin B12 levels by microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA). The gene polymorphisms of the MTHFR C677 T were determined by PCR- RFLP assay and the gene polymorphisms of the CBS 844ins68 were determined by PCR assay. The plasma Hey levels in DM with CHD group (14.8 micromol/L) were significantly higher than in DM group (11.1 micromol/L) and control group (11.2 micromol/L), (P < 0.01). The levels of plasma folate and Vitamin B12 in DM with CHD group were significantly lower than in DM group and control group, (...
Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition, 2006
To investigate the kinds of ERa, ERbeta mRNA and the localization of ERa, ERbeta on normal human ... more To investigate the kinds of ERa, ERbeta mRNA and the localization of ERa, ERbeta on normal human placenta. The expression and localization of ERa,ERbeta on normal human placenta were detected by reverse transcription-ploymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunhistochemistry (SP-assay). There was mRNA expression of ERalpha and ERbeta on human term placenta, and ERbeta was identified with ERbeta5. The ERa immunoreactivity on human term placenta was in villous cytotrophoblastic nucleus, and that of ERbeta was in syncytiotrophoblastic cytoplasm. The findings indicate that ERbeta5 is the kind of ERbeta on placenta. It is localizated in the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast and is probably connected with the production of estrogen.
DNA can be used as a generic delivery vector in addition to its genetic role as a antigen express... more DNA can be used as a generic delivery vector in addition to its genetic role as a antigen expression vector. This is inspired in part by the fact that DNA molecules are true polymers. Surprisingly, DNA molecules have not been used as a delivery vector material. This is probably due to the fact that almost all DNA have only two shapes: linear or circular. This chapter details our efforts in fabricating highly branched dendrimer-like DNA (DL-DNA) that may serve as a multivalent DNA delivery vector. Just like chemical dendrimers, DL-DNA is multi-valent and monodisperse. However, unlike traditional chemical dendrimers, DL-DNA is much larger (~100 nm, generation 4) and can be designed to be nonsymmetric as well. Most importantly, DL-DNA possesses two unique properties: anisotropicity and biodegradability, making multiple, specific conjugations of viral peptides possible. Our method suggests that viral-pep-tide conjugated DL-DNA vectors can deliver genes into cells without any other trans...
The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that is critical for tissue mo... more The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that is critical for tissue morphogenesis during development, but is also involved in tissue maintenance and repair in the adult. In skeletal muscle, regulation of Notch signaling is involved in somitogenesis, muscle development, and the proliferation and cell fate determination of muscle stems cells during regeneration. During each of these processes, the spatial and temporal control of Notch signaling is essential for proper tissue formation. That control is mediated by a series of regulatory proteins and protein complexes that enhance or inhibit Notch signaling by regulating protein processing, localization, activity, and stability. In this review, we focus on the regulation of Notch signaling during postnatal muscle regeneration when muscle stem cells ("satellite cells") must activate, proliferate, progress along a myogenic lineage pathway, and ultimately differentiate to form new muscle. We review the ...
Previous investigations have shown separately that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or nitr... more Previous investigations have shown separately that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or nitric oxide (NO) is involved in mediation of ischemic preconditioning. In the present study, we tested interactions of CGRP with NO in mediation of delayed preconditioning. In Sprague-Dawley rats, ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced by 45-min occlusion followed by 3-h reperfusion of coronary artery, and preconditioning was induced by four cycles of 3-min ischemia and 5-min reperfusion. Infarct size, plasma creatine kinase activity, the plasma level of NO and CGRP, and the expression of CGRP mRNA in dorsal root ganglion were measured. Pretreatment with preconditioning significantly reduced infarct size and the release of creatine kinase during reperfusion, and caused a significant increase in the expression of CGRP mRNA, concomitantly with an elevation in the plasma level of CGRP and NO. The effects of preconditioning were completely abolished by administration of L-nitroarginine methyl ...
This study was aimed to evaluate the anti-photoaging effects of baicalin on Ultraviolet B (UVB)-i... more This study was aimed to evaluate the anti-photoaging effects of baicalin on Ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced photoaging in the dorsal skin of hairless mice and premature senescence in human dermal fibroblasts. We established in vivo and in vitro photoaging models by repeated exposures to UVB irradiation. By HE staining, masson staining, immunohistostaing and real-time RT-PCR, we analyzed epidermal thickness, collagen expression and the mRNA and protein levels of type I collagen, type III collagen, interstitial collagenase (MMP-1 and MMP-3) in UVB exposed dorsal mice skin. The aging condition in human dermal fibroblasts was determined by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining. Cell viability was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). The G1 phase cell growth arrest was analyzed by flow cytometry. The senescence-related protein levels of p16INK-4a, p21WAF-1, and p53 and protein levels of phosphorylated histone H2AX were estimated by Western blotting. Topically...
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of two treatments for masseteric hypertr... more The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of two treatments for masseteric hypertrophy. In total, 24 patients with masseteric hypertrophy were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: 12 individuals were treated with radiofrequency (RF) ablation and 12 patients received an injection of botulinum toxin A. The thickness of the masseter muscle under tension was measured using ultrasound and clinical photographs were captured prior to treatment and at 6 and 12 months following treatment. Complications were observed during 12-month follow-up. In the group injected with botulinum toxin A, masseteric muscle thickness decreased to the lowest point 6 months after the injections but increased until 12 months after injection. However, in the group treated with RF ablation, muscle thickness decreased steadily over the 12 months following surgery. Therefore, the results of the present study indicated that the effect of RF ablation on the thickness of...
Ulva prolifera (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta) is the causative species of the annual "green tides" in... more Ulva prolifera (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta) is the causative species of the annual "green tides" in the Bohai Gulf of Northern China. In order to gain some more insight into the transcriptome of this fast-growing species of algae, we acquired 6,203 high-quality expressed-sequence-tags (ESTs), which were clustered into 4,080 unique sequences (UniSeqs). Functional classification revealed that most of the acquired transcripts were related to metabolic and biosynthetic processes, nucleotide binding, and cell part that might contribute to the organism's rapid growth. Using 39 EST pools, 28 mitochondria genomes, and 18 chloroplast genomes from algae and land plants, we constructed three phylogenetic trees. These trees provided evidence that U. prolifera was in a sister position to Ulva linza, and shared a similar chloroplast origin with Pseudendoclonium akinetum. The findings of this study will improve our knowledge of the transcriptome and taxonomic position of U. prolifera.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which have stem cell-like characteristics, might play a crucial r... more Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which have stem cell-like characteristics, might play a crucial role in cancer metastasis. CD44 has been identified as gastric cancer (GC) stem cell (CSC) marker. Here, the prognostic significance of CD44-positive CTCs in GC patients was investigated. CTCs were detected in 27 of 45 GC patients. The presence of CTCs was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and recurrence ( = 0.007, = 0.035, and = 0.035, resp.). Nineteen of the 27 CTCpositive patients had CD44-positive CTCs. These patients were more likely to develop metastasis and recurrence than patients with CD44-negative CTCs. CD44-positive CTC counts were higher in recurrent patients than in the nonrecurrent ones (means 4.8 and 1.9, resp.; = 0.010). Furthermore, 13 of 19 patients with CD44-positive CTCs developed recurrent disease, and the mean time to recurrence was shorter than that in patients with CD44-negative CTCs (10.54±5.55 and 19.13±9.72 months, resp.; = 0.04). COX proportional hazards model indicated that the presence of CD44-positive CTCs and TNM stage were independent predictors of recurrence for GC ( = 0.030 and 0.008). So identifying the stem cell-like CTC subset may provide more clinically useful prognostic information than only detecting CTCs.
ABSTRACT A polarization tunable circular Dammann grating (CDG) was generated from an azo-dye (Met... more ABSTRACT A polarization tunable circular Dammann grating (CDG) was generated from an azo-dye (Methyl Red from Aldrich) doped liquid crystal (LC, E7 from Merck) cell. A simple multi-exposure photo-aligned process, based on cell assembled with non-rubbing glass substrates, was used to fabricate the binary phase liquid crystal CDG zone plane consisted of even zone with homogenous LC structure and odd zone with TN LC structure. Different twist angle of fabricated TN structure for odd zone can be obtained by adjusting photo exposure intensity or time. CDG with equal-intensity rings was produced through a Fourier-transform and then captured by a charge-coupled-device in our experiment. The maximum 0th and 1st diffraction orders of obtained CDG can be separated achieved by rotating the analyzer&#39;s polarization direction. If the chosen analyzer&#39;s direction leads to a zero phase difference of output light from even and odd zones, the maximum 0th diffraction order will be achieved, in contrast, if the chosen analyzer&#39;s direction leads to a pi phase difference of output light from even and odd zones, the maximum 1st diffraction order will be produced. The TN structure of azo-dye doped liquid crystal cell fabricated by photo alignment technique provides a new method to generate CDG with polarization-dependent property. A broad wavelength band of lasers used to generate CDG, if far away from MR azo-dye absorption peak, expands the device&#39;s application range and shows a great advantage comparing to previously reported CDG fabricated by fixed materials, where only one fixed working wavelength is allowed.
ABSTRACT Traditionally LC/polymer composite, such as polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), hol... more ABSTRACT Traditionally LC/polymer composite, such as polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), holographic PDLC (H-PDLC), and polymer stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) etc. is primarily used as display devices. Recently, with electrical, optical and thermal tunability, easy fabrication and fast response time, they have attracted much attention in photonics devices (grating, diffractive optical elements, optical switches etc.) with potential applications in communications, imaging, and biology. The intrinsic tunable property of LC/polymer composite (by means of mechanic, electronic, magnetic, thermal stimulus) makes it an attractive material used in dynamic photonics devices. In this paper, we will first introduce the preparation of LC/polymer material for various objectives. Then two essential fabrication approaches i.e. multibeams interference lithography for periodic structures and programmable projection lithography for specific designed patterns are introduced respectively. At last, our recent results in applying LC/polymer composite in photonic devices, such as tunable 3D photonics crystals, 2D tunable lasing source, focusing elements and binary Airy beams generation etc. are reviewed.
We study the superbending effect in a two-dimensional graded photonic crystal (GPC) for both TE a... more We study the superbending effect in a two-dimensional graded photonic crystal (GPC) for both TE and TM modes. We show that the lateral beam shift is extremely sensitive to the wavelength for the TM mode but not TE mode, indicating the potential in designing some special superbending devices, for example, TE/TM splitter and polarization-indifference waveguide at prescribed wavelengths.
ABSTRACT Lasing actions are demonstrated in two high-symmetry directions (ΓM and ΓK) of a two-dim... more ABSTRACT Lasing actions are demonstrated in two high-symmetry directions (ΓM and ΓK) of a two-dimensional hexagonal photonic crystal from dye-doped holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals. The group velocity anomaly, which is peculiar to two-dimensional and three-dimensional photonic crystals, leads to substantial enhancement in local fields in the two-dimensional photonic crystal with a low-index contrast. The difference on the lasing thresholds between the two directions is interpreted as the result of different group velocities of the flat bands where laser oscillation occurred.
ABSTRACT An electrically tunable optical vortex was generated in an antiparallel liquid crystal c... more ABSTRACT An electrically tunable optical vortex was generated in an antiparallel liquid crystal cell, where one electrode was patterned by a photomask, which is achieved by transferring a computer-generated hologram onto a transparency with a resolution of about 25 μm. When a voltage was applied on the cell, an index modulation was induced due to the realignment of liquid crystal molecules, and then an optical vortex beam was produced. The diffraction efficiency measured was about 27.5%. The device also showed a reasonably fast response time.
Topical pimecrolimus has been shown to reverse epidermal CD1a(+) Langerhans cell reduction induce... more Topical pimecrolimus has been shown to reverse epidermal CD1a(+) Langerhans cell reduction induced by high-dose ultraviolet (UV)B irradiation, but the mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the possible mechanism of the effect of pimecrolimus on high-dose UVB-irradiated epidermal Langerhans cells. FORTY HUMAN FORESKIN TISSUES WERE DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS: control; pimecrolimus-only; UVB-only; and UVB + pimecrolimus. All tissues were cultured, and each tissue was cut into four pieces, corresponding to four time points (0 hours, 18 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours). We collected the tissues and culture medium at each time point. The percentage of CD1a(+) cells in medium was detected by flow cytometry. The tissues were detected for messenger (m)RNA and protein expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and E-cadherin, by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. At 18 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours, the CD1a(+) cell...
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 21 to 24 nucleotide, non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally ... more MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 21 to 24 nucleotide, non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of target genes. Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation has been shown to inhibit phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expression in HaCaT cells through an unknown mechanism. In this study, we investigated whether miR-141 can regulate UVB exposure-mediated inhibition of PTEN expression. Real-time RT-PCR, annexin V/fluorescein isothiocyanate staining, Western blotting and anti-miRNA oligonucleotide transfection were employed in this study. We found that upregulation of miR-141 expression after UVB irradiation was inversely correlated with PTEN expression levels in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, miR-141 expression increased apoptosis, while anti-miR-141 partly restored PTEN expression and reversed the pro-apoptosis effect of UVB. UVB suppresses the expression of PTEN by upregulating miR-141 in HaCaT cells. Therefore, miR-141 is a potential gene therapy t...
An electrically switchable computer-generated hologram (CGH) was fabricated using a liquid crysta... more An electrically switchable computer-generated hologram (CGH) was fabricated using a liquid crystal (LC) cell. A polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) film, which was spin-coated on one glass substrate of the LC cell, was patterned by a focused 2 MeV proton beam with a CGH phase pattern (2 μm resolution). With an applied voltage on the LC cell CGH sample, an index modulation was produced between the regions with and without PMMA because of the reorientation of LC molecules under the external electric field. The maximum diffraction efficiency measured was about 28.7%. The operating voltage was below 15 V rms .
AIM To investigate the effects of taxol on SMMC-7721 human hepatoma and its mechanisms. METHODS I... more AIM To investigate the effects of taxol on SMMC-7721 human hepatoma and its mechanisms. METHODS In vitro cell growth was assessed by trypan blue exclusion method. Experimental hepatoma model was established by seeding SMMC-7721 cells subcutaneously into Balb/c(nu/nu) nude mice. In vivo tumor growth was determined by measurement of tumor diameter with Vernier calipers. The syntheses of DNA, RNA and
We use vector autoregressive models to estimate the effect of monetary policy on investors’ risk ... more We use vector autoregressive models to estimate the effect of monetary policy on investors’ risk aversion. The latter is proxied by a variety of option based implied volatility indices for Germany and the UK. There is clear evidence of a procyclical response between monetary policy and risk aversion. Monetary policy shocks affect UK investors risk attitude for longer periods, while
Based on the three-dimensional modeling structure of human interleukin-24 (hIL-24) and its most l... more Based on the three-dimensional modeling structure of human interleukin-24 (hIL-24) and its most likely active position predicted by solvent accessibility and apparent electrostatic properties, a novel hIL-24 peptide M1 was created by computer-guided molecular design. The cytotoxicity and cell selectivity of M1 were examined in three human carcinoma cell lines and one normal human embryo lung fibroblast cell line (HEL). MTT assay showed that M1 induced growth arrest in two IL-20 receptor complex-positive cancer cell lines (the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line Eca-109 and the melanoma cell line A375), and antibodies against IL-24 or IL-20 receptor complexes significantly neutralized the inhibitory activity. Moreover, M1 had almost no cytotoxicity on the lung cancer A549 cell line, which lacks a full complement of the IL-20 receptor complexes, or on HEL cells that express the IL-20 receptor complexes. These findings demonstrate that M1 could act as an excellent candidate fo...
Wei sheng yan jiu = Journal of hygiene research, 2009
To explore the significance of Hey, the gene polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase... more To explore the significance of Hey, the gene polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677 T and cystathionine beta- synthase (CBS844) ins68 in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) with coronary heart disease (CHD) in China. Methods We selected 70 patients with type 2 DM and CHD, 71 type 2 diabetes patients, and 85 controls in Han nationality from northern China. Hey levels were measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) and the plasma folate and vitamin B12 levels by microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA). The gene polymorphisms of the MTHFR C677 T were determined by PCR- RFLP assay and the gene polymorphisms of the CBS 844ins68 were determined by PCR assay. The plasma Hey levels in DM with CHD group (14.8 micromol/L) were significantly higher than in DM group (11.1 micromol/L) and control group (11.2 micromol/L), (P < 0.01). The levels of plasma folate and Vitamin B12 in DM with CHD group were significantly lower than in DM group and control group, (...
Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition, 2006
To investigate the kinds of ERa, ERbeta mRNA and the localization of ERa, ERbeta on normal human ... more To investigate the kinds of ERa, ERbeta mRNA and the localization of ERa, ERbeta on normal human placenta. The expression and localization of ERa,ERbeta on normal human placenta were detected by reverse transcription-ploymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunhistochemistry (SP-assay). There was mRNA expression of ERalpha and ERbeta on human term placenta, and ERbeta was identified with ERbeta5. The ERa immunoreactivity on human term placenta was in villous cytotrophoblastic nucleus, and that of ERbeta was in syncytiotrophoblastic cytoplasm. The findings indicate that ERbeta5 is the kind of ERbeta on placenta. It is localizated in the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast and is probably connected with the production of estrogen.
DNA can be used as a generic delivery vector in addition to its genetic role as a antigen express... more DNA can be used as a generic delivery vector in addition to its genetic role as a antigen expression vector. This is inspired in part by the fact that DNA molecules are true polymers. Surprisingly, DNA molecules have not been used as a delivery vector material. This is probably due to the fact that almost all DNA have only two shapes: linear or circular. This chapter details our efforts in fabricating highly branched dendrimer-like DNA (DL-DNA) that may serve as a multivalent DNA delivery vector. Just like chemical dendrimers, DL-DNA is multi-valent and monodisperse. However, unlike traditional chemical dendrimers, DL-DNA is much larger (~100 nm, generation 4) and can be designed to be nonsymmetric as well. Most importantly, DL-DNA possesses two unique properties: anisotropicity and biodegradability, making multiple, specific conjugations of viral peptides possible. Our method suggests that viral-pep-tide conjugated DL-DNA vectors can deliver genes into cells without any other trans...
The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that is critical for tissue mo... more The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that is critical for tissue morphogenesis during development, but is also involved in tissue maintenance and repair in the adult. In skeletal muscle, regulation of Notch signaling is involved in somitogenesis, muscle development, and the proliferation and cell fate determination of muscle stems cells during regeneration. During each of these processes, the spatial and temporal control of Notch signaling is essential for proper tissue formation. That control is mediated by a series of regulatory proteins and protein complexes that enhance or inhibit Notch signaling by regulating protein processing, localization, activity, and stability. In this review, we focus on the regulation of Notch signaling during postnatal muscle regeneration when muscle stem cells ("satellite cells") must activate, proliferate, progress along a myogenic lineage pathway, and ultimately differentiate to form new muscle. We review the ...
Previous investigations have shown separately that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or nitr... more Previous investigations have shown separately that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or nitric oxide (NO) is involved in mediation of ischemic preconditioning. In the present study, we tested interactions of CGRP with NO in mediation of delayed preconditioning. In Sprague-Dawley rats, ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced by 45-min occlusion followed by 3-h reperfusion of coronary artery, and preconditioning was induced by four cycles of 3-min ischemia and 5-min reperfusion. Infarct size, plasma creatine kinase activity, the plasma level of NO and CGRP, and the expression of CGRP mRNA in dorsal root ganglion were measured. Pretreatment with preconditioning significantly reduced infarct size and the release of creatine kinase during reperfusion, and caused a significant increase in the expression of CGRP mRNA, concomitantly with an elevation in the plasma level of CGRP and NO. The effects of preconditioning were completely abolished by administration of L-nitroarginine methyl ...
This study was aimed to evaluate the anti-photoaging effects of baicalin on Ultraviolet B (UVB)-i... more This study was aimed to evaluate the anti-photoaging effects of baicalin on Ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced photoaging in the dorsal skin of hairless mice and premature senescence in human dermal fibroblasts. We established in vivo and in vitro photoaging models by repeated exposures to UVB irradiation. By HE staining, masson staining, immunohistostaing and real-time RT-PCR, we analyzed epidermal thickness, collagen expression and the mRNA and protein levels of type I collagen, type III collagen, interstitial collagenase (MMP-1 and MMP-3) in UVB exposed dorsal mice skin. The aging condition in human dermal fibroblasts was determined by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining. Cell viability was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). The G1 phase cell growth arrest was analyzed by flow cytometry. The senescence-related protein levels of p16INK-4a, p21WAF-1, and p53 and protein levels of phosphorylated histone H2AX were estimated by Western blotting. Topically...
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of two treatments for masseteric hypertr... more The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of two treatments for masseteric hypertrophy. In total, 24 patients with masseteric hypertrophy were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: 12 individuals were treated with radiofrequency (RF) ablation and 12 patients received an injection of botulinum toxin A. The thickness of the masseter muscle under tension was measured using ultrasound and clinical photographs were captured prior to treatment and at 6 and 12 months following treatment. Complications were observed during 12-month follow-up. In the group injected with botulinum toxin A, masseteric muscle thickness decreased to the lowest point 6 months after the injections but increased until 12 months after injection. However, in the group treated with RF ablation, muscle thickness decreased steadily over the 12 months following surgery. Therefore, the results of the present study indicated that the effect of RF ablation on the thickness of...
Ulva prolifera (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta) is the causative species of the annual "green tides" in... more Ulva prolifera (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta) is the causative species of the annual "green tides" in the Bohai Gulf of Northern China. In order to gain some more insight into the transcriptome of this fast-growing species of algae, we acquired 6,203 high-quality expressed-sequence-tags (ESTs), which were clustered into 4,080 unique sequences (UniSeqs). Functional classification revealed that most of the acquired transcripts were related to metabolic and biosynthetic processes, nucleotide binding, and cell part that might contribute to the organism's rapid growth. Using 39 EST pools, 28 mitochondria genomes, and 18 chloroplast genomes from algae and land plants, we constructed three phylogenetic trees. These trees provided evidence that U. prolifera was in a sister position to Ulva linza, and shared a similar chloroplast origin with Pseudendoclonium akinetum. The findings of this study will improve our knowledge of the transcriptome and taxonomic position of U. prolifera.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which have stem cell-like characteristics, might play a crucial r... more Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which have stem cell-like characteristics, might play a crucial role in cancer metastasis. CD44 has been identified as gastric cancer (GC) stem cell (CSC) marker. Here, the prognostic significance of CD44-positive CTCs in GC patients was investigated. CTCs were detected in 27 of 45 GC patients. The presence of CTCs was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and recurrence ( = 0.007, = 0.035, and = 0.035, resp.). Nineteen of the 27 CTCpositive patients had CD44-positive CTCs. These patients were more likely to develop metastasis and recurrence than patients with CD44-negative CTCs. CD44-positive CTC counts were higher in recurrent patients than in the nonrecurrent ones (means 4.8 and 1.9, resp.; = 0.010). Furthermore, 13 of 19 patients with CD44-positive CTCs developed recurrent disease, and the mean time to recurrence was shorter than that in patients with CD44-negative CTCs (10.54±5.55 and 19.13±9.72 months, resp.; = 0.04). COX proportional hazards model indicated that the presence of CD44-positive CTCs and TNM stage were independent predictors of recurrence for GC ( = 0.030 and 0.008). So identifying the stem cell-like CTC subset may provide more clinically useful prognostic information than only detecting CTCs.
ABSTRACT A polarization tunable circular Dammann grating (CDG) was generated from an azo-dye (Met... more ABSTRACT A polarization tunable circular Dammann grating (CDG) was generated from an azo-dye (Methyl Red from Aldrich) doped liquid crystal (LC, E7 from Merck) cell. A simple multi-exposure photo-aligned process, based on cell assembled with non-rubbing glass substrates, was used to fabricate the binary phase liquid crystal CDG zone plane consisted of even zone with homogenous LC structure and odd zone with TN LC structure. Different twist angle of fabricated TN structure for odd zone can be obtained by adjusting photo exposure intensity or time. CDG with equal-intensity rings was produced through a Fourier-transform and then captured by a charge-coupled-device in our experiment. The maximum 0th and 1st diffraction orders of obtained CDG can be separated achieved by rotating the analyzer&#39;s polarization direction. If the chosen analyzer&#39;s direction leads to a zero phase difference of output light from even and odd zones, the maximum 0th diffraction order will be achieved, in contrast, if the chosen analyzer&#39;s direction leads to a pi phase difference of output light from even and odd zones, the maximum 1st diffraction order will be produced. The TN structure of azo-dye doped liquid crystal cell fabricated by photo alignment technique provides a new method to generate CDG with polarization-dependent property. A broad wavelength band of lasers used to generate CDG, if far away from MR azo-dye absorption peak, expands the device&#39;s application range and shows a great advantage comparing to previously reported CDG fabricated by fixed materials, where only one fixed working wavelength is allowed.
ABSTRACT Traditionally LC/polymer composite, such as polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), hol... more ABSTRACT Traditionally LC/polymer composite, such as polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), holographic PDLC (H-PDLC), and polymer stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) etc. is primarily used as display devices. Recently, with electrical, optical and thermal tunability, easy fabrication and fast response time, they have attracted much attention in photonics devices (grating, diffractive optical elements, optical switches etc.) with potential applications in communications, imaging, and biology. The intrinsic tunable property of LC/polymer composite (by means of mechanic, electronic, magnetic, thermal stimulus) makes it an attractive material used in dynamic photonics devices. In this paper, we will first introduce the preparation of LC/polymer material for various objectives. Then two essential fabrication approaches i.e. multibeams interference lithography for periodic structures and programmable projection lithography for specific designed patterns are introduced respectively. At last, our recent results in applying LC/polymer composite in photonic devices, such as tunable 3D photonics crystals, 2D tunable lasing source, focusing elements and binary Airy beams generation etc. are reviewed.
We study the superbending effect in a two-dimensional graded photonic crystal (GPC) for both TE a... more We study the superbending effect in a two-dimensional graded photonic crystal (GPC) for both TE and TM modes. We show that the lateral beam shift is extremely sensitive to the wavelength for the TM mode but not TE mode, indicating the potential in designing some special superbending devices, for example, TE/TM splitter and polarization-indifference waveguide at prescribed wavelengths.
ABSTRACT Lasing actions are demonstrated in two high-symmetry directions (ΓM and ΓK) of a two-dim... more ABSTRACT Lasing actions are demonstrated in two high-symmetry directions (ΓM and ΓK) of a two-dimensional hexagonal photonic crystal from dye-doped holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals. The group velocity anomaly, which is peculiar to two-dimensional and three-dimensional photonic crystals, leads to substantial enhancement in local fields in the two-dimensional photonic crystal with a low-index contrast. The difference on the lasing thresholds between the two directions is interpreted as the result of different group velocities of the flat bands where laser oscillation occurred.
ABSTRACT An electrically tunable optical vortex was generated in an antiparallel liquid crystal c... more ABSTRACT An electrically tunable optical vortex was generated in an antiparallel liquid crystal cell, where one electrode was patterned by a photomask, which is achieved by transferring a computer-generated hologram onto a transparency with a resolution of about 25 μm. When a voltage was applied on the cell, an index modulation was induced due to the realignment of liquid crystal molecules, and then an optical vortex beam was produced. The diffraction efficiency measured was about 27.5%. The device also showed a reasonably fast response time.
Topical pimecrolimus has been shown to reverse epidermal CD1a(+) Langerhans cell reduction induce... more Topical pimecrolimus has been shown to reverse epidermal CD1a(+) Langerhans cell reduction induced by high-dose ultraviolet (UV)B irradiation, but the mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the possible mechanism of the effect of pimecrolimus on high-dose UVB-irradiated epidermal Langerhans cells. FORTY HUMAN FORESKIN TISSUES WERE DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS: control; pimecrolimus-only; UVB-only; and UVB + pimecrolimus. All tissues were cultured, and each tissue was cut into four pieces, corresponding to four time points (0 hours, 18 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours). We collected the tissues and culture medium at each time point. The percentage of CD1a(+) cells in medium was detected by flow cytometry. The tissues were detected for messenger (m)RNA and protein expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and E-cadherin, by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. At 18 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours, the CD1a(+) cell...
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 21 to 24 nucleotide, non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally ... more MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 21 to 24 nucleotide, non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of target genes. Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation has been shown to inhibit phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expression in HaCaT cells through an unknown mechanism. In this study, we investigated whether miR-141 can regulate UVB exposure-mediated inhibition of PTEN expression. Real-time RT-PCR, annexin V/fluorescein isothiocyanate staining, Western blotting and anti-miRNA oligonucleotide transfection were employed in this study. We found that upregulation of miR-141 expression after UVB irradiation was inversely correlated with PTEN expression levels in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, miR-141 expression increased apoptosis, while anti-miR-141 partly restored PTEN expression and reversed the pro-apoptosis effect of UVB. UVB suppresses the expression of PTEN by upregulating miR-141 in HaCaT cells. Therefore, miR-141 is a potential gene therapy t...
An electrically switchable computer-generated hologram (CGH) was fabricated using a liquid crysta... more An electrically switchable computer-generated hologram (CGH) was fabricated using a liquid crystal (LC) cell. A polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) film, which was spin-coated on one glass substrate of the LC cell, was patterned by a focused 2 MeV proton beam with a CGH phase pattern (2 μm resolution). With an applied voltage on the LC cell CGH sample, an index modulation was produced between the regions with and without PMMA because of the reorientation of LC molecules under the external electric field. The maximum diffraction efficiency measured was about 28.7%. The operating voltage was below 15 V rms .
AIM To investigate the effects of taxol on SMMC-7721 human hepatoma and its mechanisms. METHODS I... more AIM To investigate the effects of taxol on SMMC-7721 human hepatoma and its mechanisms. METHODS In vitro cell growth was assessed by trypan blue exclusion method. Experimental hepatoma model was established by seeding SMMC-7721 cells subcutaneously into Balb/c(nu/nu) nude mice. In vivo tumor growth was determined by measurement of tumor diameter with Vernier calipers. The syntheses of DNA, RNA and
We use vector autoregressive models to estimate the effect of monetary policy on investors’ risk ... more We use vector autoregressive models to estimate the effect of monetary policy on investors’ risk aversion. The latter is proxied by a variety of option based implied volatility indices for Germany and the UK. There is clear evidence of a procyclical response between monetary policy and risk aversion. Monetary policy shocks affect UK investors risk attitude for longer periods, while
Based on the three-dimensional modeling structure of human interleukin-24 (hIL-24) and its most l... more Based on the three-dimensional modeling structure of human interleukin-24 (hIL-24) and its most likely active position predicted by solvent accessibility and apparent electrostatic properties, a novel hIL-24 peptide M1 was created by computer-guided molecular design. The cytotoxicity and cell selectivity of M1 were examined in three human carcinoma cell lines and one normal human embryo lung fibroblast cell line (HEL). MTT assay showed that M1 induced growth arrest in two IL-20 receptor complex-positive cancer cell lines (the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line Eca-109 and the melanoma cell line A375), and antibodies against IL-24 or IL-20 receptor complexes significantly neutralized the inhibitory activity. Moreover, M1 had almost no cytotoxicity on the lung cancer A549 cell line, which lacks a full complement of the IL-20 receptor complexes, or on HEL cells that express the IL-20 receptor complexes. These findings demonstrate that M1 could act as an excellent candidate fo...
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Papers by Dan Luo