Rational molecular design for isoindigo-based polymer semiconductors with high ductility and high electrical performance

Tian, Fengshou,Chen, Han,Du, Yuchang,Chen, Junhui,Wang, Xiaohong,Lu, Hongbo,Cho, Kilwon,Zhang, Guobing,Qiu, Longzhen The Royal Society of Chemistry 2019 Journal of Materials Chemistry C Vol.7 No.37

<P>Achieving good electrical properties and ductility of polymer semiconductors has always been challenging. In this work, a series of isoindigo derivative-based conjugated polymers was studied in an effort to gain a better understanding of the influence of polymer main and side chain structures on their electrical and mechanical properties. The results suggested that the introduction of alkyl side chains onto the donors can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of isoindigo-based polymers; however, the electrical properties of the films greatly deteriorated due to the large steric hindrance by the chain. The insertion of strong electron-withdrawing units, such as benzodifurandione, into the isoindigo chain during the synthesis of a bis(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)-benzodifuran-dione (BIBDF)-based polymer (PBIBDF-BT) significantly boosted the electrical properties of the films without decreasing their mechanical properties. The crack onset in PBIBDF-BT thin films was observed at 50% tensile strain. In addition, PBIBDF-BT thin films exhibited bipolar transport properties with both electron and hole mobilities greater than 0.1 cm<SUP>2</SUP> V<SUP>−1</SUP> s<SUP>−1</SUP> at 100% strain. It is found that the improvement of PBIBDF-BT performance is attributed to its proper molecular structure. The long alkyl side chains significantly increase the ductility of PBIBDF-BT thin films, and the strong electron-withdrawing BIBDF unit in the main chains enhances the local aggregation, resulting in a significant increase in mobility. These results indicate that the mechanical and electrical properties of conjugated polymers could simultaneously be improved through reasonable molecular design.</P>

Update of Research on Drug Resistance in Small Cell Lung Cancer Chemotherapy

Chen, Yi-Tian,Feng, Bing,Chen, Long-Bang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.8

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by a short cell doubling time, rapid progression and early occurrence of blood-borne and lymph metastasis. The malignancy is the highest of all lung cancer types. Although SCLC has a relatively good initial response to chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy, relapse or disease progression may occur quickly after the initial treatment. Drug resistance, especially multi-drug resistance, is the most important cause of failure of SCLC chemotherapy. This article provides a brief update of research on mechanisms of drug resistance in SCLC and reversal strategies.

Neural correlates of the popular music phenomenon: evidence from functional MRI and PET imaging

Chen, Qiaozhen,Zhang, Ying,Hou, Haifeng,Du, Fenglei,Wu, Shuang,Chen, Lin,Shen, Yehua,Chao, Fangfang,Chung, June-key,Zhang, Hong,Tian, Mei Springer-Verlag 2017 European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular Vol.44 No.6

<P>Popular music Gangnam Style can arouse pleasure experience and strong emotional response. The left putamen is positively correlated with the mood arousal level score under the Gangnam Style condition. Our results revealed characteristic patterns of brain activity associated with Gangnam Style, and may also provide more general insights into the music-induced emotional processing.</P>

Incorporation of n-3 Long-chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids into Duck Egg Yolks

Chen, Tian-Fwu,Hsu, Jenn-Chung Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2003 Animal Bioscience Vol.16 No.4

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of different levels of refined cod liver oil (RCLO) on laying performance, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids composition (n-3 PUFAs) and the organoleptic evaluation of duck egg yolks. A total of 180 30 wk old laying Tsaiya ducks, at the beginning of peak production, were allotted into 6 treatments with 3 replicates each. Ducks were fed one of the 6 experimental diets, supplemented with 2% tallow (control) and graded levels of RCLO at 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6% to a corn-soybean diets, respectively, for 6 wks. All of the experimental diets were formulated to be both isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum throughout the experimental period. The results indicated that the RCLO supplementation levels did not affect (p>0.05) egg production, egg mass, feed intake, feed efficiency or body weight change. Egg weight was the lightest when the ducks received the 6% RCLO diet. The eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and total n-3 PUFAs contents in the yolks increased with increasing RCLO supplementation. The taste and general acceptability of the hard-boiled eggs were not significantly different among the treatments. However, a fishy flavor was much higher when ducks were fed diets supplemented with 5% and 6% RCLO diets.

Effects of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids-enriched Diet Supplemented with Different Levels of α-Tocopherol on Lipid Metabolism in Laying Tsaiya Ducks

Chen, Tian-Fwu,Hsu, Jenn-Chung Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2004 Animal Bioscience Vol.17 No.11

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs)-enriched diet supplemented with different levels of $\alpha$-tocopherol on the activities of hepatic lipogenic-related enzymes and the contents of liver and plasma lipid fractions in laying Tsaiya ducks. A total of 180 30-wk-old laying Tsaiya ducks, at the beginning of peak production, were allotted into 6 treatments with 3 replicates each. Ducks were fed one of the 6 experimental diets, containing 4% tallow (control), and 4% fish oil supplemented with graded levels of $\alpha$-tocopheryl acetate ($\alpha$-tocopherol) at 0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg, respectively, for 6 wks. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum throughout the experimental period. The results indicated that the n-3 PUFAsenriched diet supplemented with different levels of $\alpha$-tocopherol did not affect (p>0.05) egg weight, feed intake, body weight change or liver and abdominal fat weights. Egg production, egg mass and feed efficiency significantly (p<0.05) improved as dietary $\alpha$-tocopherol levels increased. The activities of hepatic lipogenic-related enzymes including acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6. 2. 1. 3; ACC), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1. 1. 1. 49; G-6-PDH), ATP-citrate cleavage enzyme (EC 4. 1. 3. 8; CCE), NADP-malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.40; NADP-MDH) and fatty acid synthetase (FAS) were higher (p<0.05) in birds fed with the tallow diet than in those fed with fish oil diets and increased with increasing dietary $\alpha$-tocopherol levels. None of the dietary treatments significantly affected the contents of triglyceride and total cholesterol in the liver, or total cholesterol, phospholipid and total lipid in the plasma. However, the contents of phospholipid and total lipid in the liver, and triglyceride in the plasma increased as dietary $\alpha$-tocopherol levels increased. Increasing dietary $\alpha$-tocopherol levels decreased the non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) content in the plasma and trended to decrease the cholesterol contents in the egg yolk. The lipid metabolism of laying Tsaiya ducks was influenced not only by the dietary fat but also by the supplementation levels of $\alpha$-tocopherol.

The Effects of Fu Zi on Changes in the Body Heat of Dogs

Tian-Tian Chen,Chunhua Qi,Huijun Guo,Ziqiang Cheng,Dong Zhou,Haitao Liu,Jianzhu Liu 사단법인약침학회 2009 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.2 No.1

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Fu Zi on changes in the body heat of dogs. Twelve clinically healthy dogs were divided into two groups: the control group (six dogs) and the experimental group (six dogs). The control group was made to ingest normal saline mixed with canned meat, while the experimental group was made to ingest the Fu Zi solution mixed with canned meat. The infrared thermographic system was used to determine the level of body heat generated by these dogs. These areas include the dorsocranial (DCr), dorsocaudal (DCd), ventrocranial (VCr), and ventrocaudal (VCd) regions at pretreatment and were determined at 10, 20, 30, 50, 90, 120, 240, and 360 minutes after treatment for each of these areas. The results showed a tendency toward increased body heat until 30 minutes after ingestion of the Fu Zi powder mixed with canned meat. The significant differences in the changes of body heat were detected at 360 minutes in the DCd regions, 20 minutes in the VCr regions, and 30 minutes in the VCd regions between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.05). Based from our results, we find that Fu Zi can increase and maintain the dogs’ body heat for at least 6 hours. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Fu Zi on changes in the body heat of dogs. Twelve clinically healthy dogs were divided into two groups: the control group (six dogs) and the experimental group (six dogs). The control group was made to ingest normal saline mixed with canned meat, while the experimental group was made to ingest the Fu Zi solution mixed with canned meat. The infrared thermographic system was used to determine the level of body heat generated by these dogs. These areas include the dorsocranial (DCr), dorsocaudal (DCd), ventrocranial (VCr), and ventrocaudal (VCd) regions at pretreatment and were determined at 10, 20, 30, 50, 90, 120, 240, and 360 minutes after treatment for each of these areas. The results showed a tendency toward increased body heat until 30 minutes after ingestion of the Fu Zi powder mixed with canned meat. The significant differences in the changes of body heat were detected at 360 minutes in the DCd regions, 20 minutes in the VCr regions, and 30 minutes in the VCd regions between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.05). Based from our results, we find that Fu Zi can increase and maintain the dogs’ body heat for at least 6 hours.

Family History and Stroke Risk in China: Evidence from a Large Cohort Study

Tian Tian,Guangfu Jin,Canqing Yu,Jun Lv,Yu Guo,Zheng Bian,Ling Yang,Yiping Chen,Hongbing Shen,Zhengming Chen,Zhibin Hu,Liming Li 대한뇌졸중학회 2017 Journal of stroke Vol.19 No.2

Background and Purpose Large cohort studies on relationship between family history of stroke(FHS) and stroke risk are lacking in Asians. We aimed to systematically evaluate the association ofFHS with stroke risk in a cohort study of 0.5 million Chinese adults. Methods Information about FHS was self-reported. The median follow-up time was 7.16 years andthe end-point of follow-up was incident stroke, which was entered directly into the China KadoorieBiobank system. Multivariate analyses were performed with Cox proportional hazards model, andinteraction analyses were carried using likelihood-ratio tests. Results Compared with participants without FHS, the hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval,CI) of stroke for participants with FHS was 1.50 (1.46-1.55). The HRs increased with the number offirst degree relatives with stroke (HRs=1.41, 1.98 and 2.47 for 1, 2 and ≥3 relatives, respectively,Ptrend <0.001). The HRs were 1.57 (95% CI: 1.50-1.66) and 1.49 (95% CI: 1.45-1.54) for siblinghistory and parental history, respectively. Similar associations with offspring stroke risk wereobserved between paternal history (HR=1.48, 95% CI: 1.43-1.54) and maternal history (HR=1.49,95% CI: 1.43-1.55). Moreover, significant interactions were detected between FHS and health-riskbehaviors (tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking). Conclusions FHS is an independent risk factor for stroke in Chinese. The more first degree relativesare affected by stroke, the higher are individuals’ risk of suffering from stroke. The management ofthe health-risk behaviors for reducing stroke should be highlighted, especially for the individualswith FHS.

Surgical Treatment for Early Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Chen, Shao-Bin,Weng, Hong-Rui,Wang, Geng,Yang, Jie-Sheng,Yang, Wei-Ping,Liu, Di-Tian,Chen, Yu-Ping,Zhang, Hao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.6

More studies are needed to clarify treatments and prognosis of early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This retrospective study was designed to review the outcome of surgical treatment for early ESCC, evaluate the results of a left thoracotomy for selected patients with early ESCC, and identify factors affecting lymph node metastases and survival. The clinicopathological data of 228 patients with early ESCC who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy without preoperative adjuvant treatment were reviewed. The ${\chi}^2$ test or Fisher's exact test were used to detect factors related to lymph node metastasis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors. There were 152 males and 76 females with a median age of 55 years. Two hundred and eight patients underwent a left thoracotomy, and the remaining 20 patients with lymph nodes in the upper mediastinum more than 5 mm in short-axis diameter by computed tomography scan underwent a right thoracotomy. No lymph node metastasis was found in the 18 patients with carcinoma in situ, while lymph node metastases were detected in 1.6% (1/62) of patients with mucosal tumours and 18.2% (27/148) of patients with submucosal tumours. Only 7 patients showed upper mediastinal lymph node metastases in the follow-up. The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 81.4% and 70.1%, respectively. Only histologic grade (P<0.001) and pT category (P=0.001) significantly correlated with the presence of lymph node metastases. In multivariate analysis, only histologic grade (P=0.026) and pT category (P=0.008) were independent prognostic factors. A left thoracotomy is acceptable for selected patients with early ESCC. Histologic grade and pT category affected the presence of lymph node metastases and were independent prognostic factors for early ESCC.

Compound K attenuates hyperglycemia by enhancing glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion through activating TGR5 via the remodeling of gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism

Tian, Fengyuan,Huang, Shuo,Xu, Wangda,Chen, Lan,Su, Jianming,Ni, Haixiang,Feng, Xiaohong,Chen, Jie,Wang, Xi,Huang, Qi The Korean Society of Ginseng 2022 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.46 No.6

Background: Incretin impairment, characterized by insufficient secretion of L-cell-derived glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), is a defining step of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Ginsenoside compound K (CK) can stimulate GLP-1 secretion; however, the potential mechanism underlying this effect has not been established. Methods: CK (40 mg/kg) was administered orally to male db/db mice for 4 weeks. The body weight, oral glucose tolerance, GLP-1 secretion, gut microbiota sequencing, bile acid (BA) profiles, and BA synthesis markers of each subject were then analyzed. Moreover, TGR5 expression was evaluated by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence, and L-cell lineage markers involved in L-cell abundance were analyzed. Results: CK ameliorated obesity and impaired glucose tolerance in db/db mice by altering the gut microbiota, especially Ruminococcaceae family, and this changed microbe was positively correlated with secondary BA synthesis. Additionally, CK treatment resulted in the up-regulation of CYP7B1 and CYP27A1 and the down-regulation of CYP8B1, thereby shifting BA biosynthesis from the classical pathway to the alternative pathway. CK altered the BA pool by mainly increasing LCA and DCA. Furthermore, CK induced L-cell number expansion leading to enhanced GLP-1 release through TGR5 activation. These increases were supported by the upregulation of genes governing GLP-1 secretion and L-cell differentiation. Conclusions: The results indicate that CK improves glucose homeostasis by increasing L-cell numbers, which enhances GLP-1 release through a mechanism partially mediated by the gut microbiota-BA-TGR5 pathway. Therefore, that therapeutic attempts with CK might be useful for patients with T2DM.

Thermo-/pH-dual responsive properties of hyperbranched polyethylenimine grafted by phenylalanine

Chen, Jie,Xia, Jialiang,Tian, Huayu,Tang, Zhaohui,He, Chaoliang,Chen, Xuesi 대한약학회 2014 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.37 No.1

Novel thermo- and pH-dual responsive amphiphilic copolymers were synthesized based on hyperbranched polyethylenimine (PEI) by grafting $\small{L}$-phenylalanine. The phenylalanine-modified PEI exhibited lower cytotoxicity than commercial PEI. These copolymers showed the phenomena of phase transitions in response to pH and temperature. The dilute copolymer solution at lower pH displayed the higher LCST. Furthermore, LCST increased with the increasing of phenylalanine grafting density. LCST of these copolymers were tunable from 7.2 to $59.6^{\circ}C$ by the degree of amidation and pH of solution. DLS and TEM experiments certified that the copolymer chains aggregated to form small size particles as increasing the temperature above LCST. For these reasons, the obtained smart copolymers were considered to be potential gene/drug carriers in biomedical field.