A Facile Approach for the Synthesis of Stable Amorphous Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron Particles

Shi-Ni Zhu,Guo-hua Liu,Kwan-San Hui,Zhengfang Ye,후이 대한금속·재료학회 2014 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.10 No.1

Conventional methods for the preparation and stabilization of amorphous nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) particles are complicated and costly. In this study, a facile and economic approach for synthesizing stable NZVI without the requirement of vacuum condition was explored. NZVI particles were simultaneously prepared and stabilized in non-deoxygenated aqueous solutions. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive xray microanalysis (EDX), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that the as-prepared Fe0 were uniform spherical particles with a diameter ranging from 50 nm to 100 nm and a ~5 nm thick oxide shell. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that the main component of the particles was amorphous Fe0. As confirmed via EDX and XRD analyses, the Fe0 content in the stabilized NZVI particles was hardly changed after six months of storage in dry atmosphere.

Preparation of AgCl/Ag₃PO₄/Diatomite Composite by Microemulsion Method for Rapid Photo-Degradation of Rhodamine B with Stability under Visible Light

Zhu, Hai-Tao,Ren, Qi-Fang,Jin, Zhen,Ding, Yi,Liu, Xin-Yu,Ni, Xi-Hui,Han, Meng-Li,Ma, Shi-Yu,Ye, Qing,Oh, Won-Chun Materials Research Society of Korea 2020 한국재료학회지 Vol.30 No.8

In this paper, AgCl/Ag₃PO₄/diatomite photocatalyst is successfully synthesized by microemulsion method and anion in situ substitution method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) are used to study the structural and physicochemical characteristics of the AgCl/Ag₃PO₄/diatomite composite. Using rhodamine B (RhB) as a simulated pollutant, the photocatalytic activity and stability of the AgCl/Ag₃PO₄/diatomite composite under visible light are evaluated. In the AgCl/Ag₃PO₄/diatomite visible light system, RhB is nearly 100 % degraded within 15 minutes. And, after five cycles of operation, the photocatalytic activity of AgCl/Ag₃PO₄/diatomite remains at 95 % of the original level, much higher than that of pure Ag₃PO₄ (40 %). In addition, the mechanism of enhanced catalytic performance is discussed. The high photocatalytic performance of AgCl/Ag₃PO₄/diatomite composites can be attributed to the synergistic effect of Ag₃PO₄, diatomite and AgCl nanoparticles. Free radical trapping experiments are used to show that holes and oxygen are the main active species. This material can quickly react with dye molecules adsorbed on the surface of diatomite to degrade RhB dye to CO₂ and H₂O. Even more remarkably, AgCl/Ag₃PO₄/diatomite can maintain above 95 % photo-degradation activity after five cycles.

Vibration suppression in high-speed trains with negative stiffness dampers

Shi, Xiang,Zhu, Songye,Ni, Yi-qing,Li, Jianchun Techno-Press 2018 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.21 No.5

This work proposes and investigates re-centering negative stiffness dampers (NSDs) for vibration suppression in high-speed trains. The merit of the negative stiffness feature is demonstrated by active controllers on a high-speed train. This merit inspires the replacement of active controllers with re-centering NSDs, which are more reliable and robust than active controllers. The proposed damper design consists of a passive magnetic negative stiffness spring and a semi-active positioning shaft for re-centering function. The former produces negative stiffness control forces, and the latter prevents the amplification of quasi-static spring deflection. Numerical investigations verify that the proposed re-centering NSD can improve ride comfort significantly without amplifying spring deflection.

CD31 and D2-40 Contribute to Peritoneal Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer by Promoting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

( Xinqiang Zhu ),( Gang Zhou ),( Peng Ni ),( Xuetong Jiang ),( Hailong Huang ),( Jianqiang Wu ),( Xiaohong Shi ),( Xiaoling Jiang ),( Jianing Liu ) 대한소화기학회 2021 Gut and Liver Vol.15 No.2

Background/Aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients often exhibit peritoneal metastasis, which negatively impacts their prognosis. CD31 and D2-40 have recently been suggested to be predictors of breast cancer prognosis, but their role in colorectal peritoneal metastasis (CRPM) remains unknown. Methods: The expression profiles of CD31 and D2-40 were analyzed in CRC patients with or without CRPM and in CRC cell lines with increasing metastatic potential. Overexpression and short hairpin RNA knockdown assays were performed in CRC cells, and the effects of these alterations on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro, growth of xenograft tumors in vivo, and peritoneal metastasis potential in a mouse model of CRPM were examined. Results: The expressions of CD31 and D2-40 were upregulated in CRC tumor tissues and was elevated further in tumor tissues from patients with CRPM. CD31 and D2-40 expression levels exhibited increasing trends parallel to the EMT potential of CRC cells. CD31 and D2-40 are essential for CRC cell EMT in vitro as well as for xenograft tumor growth and peritoneal metastasis in vivo. Conclusions: CD31 and D2-40 contribute to CRPM by promoting EMT and may serve as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for CRC, particularly in patients with peritoneal metastasis. (Gut Liver 2021;15:273-283)

NUP210 and MicroRNA-22 Modulate Fas to Elicit HeLa Cell Cycle Arrest

Qiao Gu,Wenjie Hou,Huan Liu,Lijuan Shi,Zonghao Zhu,Wenfeng Ye,Xiaoyuan Ni 연세대학교의과대학 2020 Yonsei medical journal Vol.61 No.5

Purpose: Cervical cancer is one of the most fatal diseases among women in under-developed countries. To improve cervical cancer treatment, discovery of new targets is needed. In this study, we investigated the expression of NUP210, miR-22, and Fas in cervical cancer tissues and their functions in cell cycle regulation. Materials and Methods: We detected and compared the expression levels of NUP210, miR-22, and Fas in cervical cancer tissues with paired normal tissues using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. NUP210 was knocked down in HeLa cells via lentivirus, followed by cell cycle and proliferation analysis. Using a luciferase reporter assay, we explored the link between miR-22 and NUP210. We overexpressed miR-22 in HeLa cells and analyzed cell cycle and proliferation function. We then overexpressed miR-22 in NUP210 knockdown cells to explore the connection between Fas and miR-22-NUP210 signaling. Results: We found that NUP210 was overexpressed in cervical cancer patients. Knocking down NUP210 restored cell apoptosis and proliferation. We confirmed miR-22 as a regulator of NUP210 and verified that miR-22 was inhibited in cervical cancer development. We also found that restoring miR-22 expression could induce cell apoptosis. Finally, we found that miR-22-regulated expression of NUP210 could alter Fas expression and, in turn, elicit cell cycle arrest and proliferation. Conclusion: miR-22 in cervical cancer is downregulated, resulting in NUP210 overexpression and inhibition of Fas-induced cell apoptosis.

Possible Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Association with HPV18 or HPV33 Infection

Zhang, Pei-Pei,Zhou, Lei,Cao, Jia-Shi,Li, Yi-Ping,Zeng, Zhi,Sun, Ni,Shen, Li,Zhu, Hao-Yue,Ruan, Yang,Zha, Wen-Ting,Wang, Xin-Yu,Zhang, Ke-Qiang,Zhang, Ran Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.6

The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of HPV infection in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in Hunan province. DNA samples were collected from paraffin embedded ovarian tissue from 322 patients with EOC, 99 with ovarian benign tumors and 199 normal persons. The polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing were used to identify the HPV types in the samples. The relationship between the infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) was investigated combined with clinical data. The prevalence of HPV18 and HPV33 in EOC group and benign group was higher than in the normal group. HPV18 and HPV33 may play a role in the development of both EOC and ovarian benign tumor and may participate in the development of EOC with traditional risk factors, family history and abortion, possibly exerting synergistic effects.