TSSG growth, morphology and properties of potassium lithium niobate (KLN) crystals

Chong, Tow-Chong,Xu, Xue-Wu,Li, Lian,Zhang, Guang-Yu,Kumagai, H.,Hirano, M. The Korea Association of Crystal Growth 1999 한국결정성장학회지 Vol.9 No.4

In the present paper, potassium lithium niobate(KLN) crystals have been grown along <001>, <100> and <110> directions by the top seeded solution growth (TSSG) method from Li-richer melts with different compositions. The morphologies of KLN crystals grown along different directions have been studied, and the well-developed facets have been unambiguously indexed using X-ray goniometer and stereographic projection analysis. The growth mechanism and defects such as cracks and inclusions were discussed on the basis of observations of facets on the crystal-solution interfaces. The crystal compositions were determined by a chemical analysis method. The structure and lattice constants of KLN crystals were determined and calculated on the basis of XRD data by using TREOR90 and PIRUM programs. The Curie temperature and optical absorption were determined by dielectric constant peak and spectrum measurements. respectively. The blue second harmonic generation (SHG) characteristics of KLN sample were also investigated using a pulsed dye laser.

Selection of Reference Genes for Real-time Quantitative PCR Normalization in the Process of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici Infecting Wheat

Li-hua Xie,Xin Quan,Jie Zhang,Yan-yan Yang,Run-hong Sun,Ming-cong Xia,Bao-guo Xue,Chao Wu,Xiao-yun Han,Ya-nan Xue,Li-rong Yang 한국식물병리학회 2019 Plant Pathology Journal Vol.35 No.1

Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici is a soil borne pathogenic fungus associated with wheat roots. The accurate quantification of gene expression during the process of infection might be helpful to understand the pathogenic molecular mechanism. However, this method requires suitable reference genes for transcript normalization. In this study, nine candidate reference genes were chosen, and the specificity of the primers were investigated by melting curves of PCR products. The expression stability of these nine candidates was determined with three programs-geNorm, Norm Finder, and Best Keeper. TUBβ was identified as the most stable reference gene. Furthermore, the exopolygalacturonase gene (ExoPG) was selected to verify the reliability of TUBβ expression. The expression profile of ExoPG assessed using TUBβ agreed with the results of digital gene expression analysis by RNA-Seq. This study is the first systematic exploration of the optimal reference genes in the infection process of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici.

Single-particle characterization of aerosols collected at a remote site in the Amazonian rainforest and an urban site in Manaus, Brazil

Wu, Li,Li, Xue,Kim, HyeKyeong,Geng, Hong,Godoi, Ricardo H. M.,Barbosa, Cybelli G. G.,Godoi, Ana F. L.,Yamamoto, Carlos I.,de Souza, Rodrigo A. F.,Pö,hlker, Christopher,Andreae, Meinrat O.,Ro, Chul Copernicus GmbH 2019 Atmospheric chemistry and physics Vol.19 No.2

<P><p><strong>Abstract.</strong> <span id='page1222'/>In this study, aerosol samples collected at a remote site in the Amazonian rainforest and an urban site in Manaus, Brazil, were investigated on a single-particle basis using a quantitative energy-dispersive electron probe X-ray microanalysis (ED-EPMA). A total of 23 aerosol samples were collected in four size ranges (0.25-0.5, 0.5-1.0, 1.0-2.0, and 2.0-4.0<span class='thinspace'></span><span class='inline-formula'>µ</span>m) during the wet season in 2012 at two Amazon basin sites: 10 samples in Manaus, an urban area; and 13 samples at an 80<span class='thinspace'></span>m high tower, located at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) site in the middle of the rainforest, 150<span class='thinspace'></span>km northeast of Manaus. The aerosol particles were classified into nine particle types based on the morphology on the secondary electron images (SEIs) together with the elemental concentrations of 3162 individual particles: (i) secondary organic aerosols (SOA); (ii) ammonium sulfate (AS); (iii) SOA and AS mixtures; (iv) aged mineral dust; (v) reacted sea salts; (vi) primary biological aerosol (PBA); (vii) carbon-rich or elemental carbon (EC) particles, such as soot, tarball, and char; (viii) fly ash; and (ix) heavy metal (HM, such as Fe, Zn, Ni, and Ti)-containing particles. In submicron aerosols collected at the ATTO site, SOA and AS mixture particles were predominant (50<span class='thinspace'></span>%-94<span class='thinspace'></span>% in relative abundance) with SOA and ammonium sulfate comprising 73<span class='thinspace'></span>%-100<span class='thinspace'></span>%. In supermicron aerosols at the ATTO site, aged mineral dust and sea salts (37<span class='thinspace'></span>%-70<span class='thinspace'></span>%) as well as SOA and ammonium sulfate (28<span class='thinspace'></span>%-58<span class='thinspace'></span>%) were abundant. PBAs were observed abundantly in the PM<span class='inline-formula'>₂₋₄</span> fraction (46<span class='thinspace'></span>%), and EC and fly ash particles were absent in all size fractions. The analysis of a bulk PM<span class='inline-formula'>_0.25−0.5</span> aerosol sample from the ATTO site using Raman microspectrometry and attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) showed that ammonium sulfate, organics, and minerals are the major chemical species, which is consistent with the ED-EPMA results. In the submicron aerosols collected in Manaus, either SOA and ammonium sulfate (17<span class='thinspace'></span>%-80<span class='thinspace'></span>%) or EC particles (6<span class='thinspace'></span>%-78<span class='thinspace'></span>%) were dominant depending on the samples. In contrast, aged mineral dust, reacted sea salt, PBA, SOA, ammonium sulfate, and EC particles comprised most of the supermicron aerosols collected in Manaus. The SOA, ammonium sulfate, and PBAs were mostly of a biogenic origin from the rainforest, whereas the EC and HM-containing particles were of an anthropogenic origin. Based on the different contents of SOA, ammonium sulfate, and EC particles among the samples collected in Manaus, a considerable influence of the rainforest over the city was observed. Aged mineral dust and reacted sea-salt particles, including mineral dust mixed with sea salts probably during long-range transatlantic transport, were abundant in the supermicron fractions at both sites. Among the aged mineral dust and reacted sea-salt particles, sulfate-containing ones outnumbered those containing nitrates and sulfate<span class='thinspace'></span><span class='inline-formula'>+</span><span class='thinspace'></span>nitrate in the ATTO samples. In contrast, particles containing sulfate<span class='thinspace'></span><span class='inline-formula'>+</span><span class='thinspace'></span>nitrate were comparable in number to particles containing sulfate only in the Manaus samples, indicating

Isolation and Identification of Newly Isolated Antagonistic Streptomyces sp. Strain AP19-2 Producing Chromomycins

Wu, Xue-Chang,Chen, Wei-Feng,Qian, Chao-Dong,Li, Ou,Li, Ping,Wen, Yan-Ping The Microbiological Society of Korea 2007 The journal of microbiology Vol.45 No.6

A new antagonistic strain of actinomycete, designated AP19-2, was isolated from the feces of giant pandas inhabiting the Foping National Nature Reserve in China. Cultural characteristic studies strongly suggested that this strain is a member of the genus Streptomyces. The nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of strain AP19-2 evidenced profound similarity (97-99 %) with other Streptomyces strains. Two pure active molecules were isolated from a fermentation broth of Streptomyces sp. strain AP19-2 via extraction, concentration, silica gel G column chromatography, and HPLC. The chemical structures of the two related compounds (referred to as chromomycin $A_2$ and chromomycin $A_3$) were established on the basis of their Infrared spectra (IR), High Resolution Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data, and by comparison with published data.

Isolation and Identification of Newly Isolated Antagonistic Streptomyces sp. Strain AP19-2 Producing Chromomycins

Xue-Chang Wu,Wei-Feng Chen,Chao-Dong Qian,Ou Li,Ping Li,Yan-Ping Wen 한국미생물학회 2007 The journal of microbiology Vol.45 No.6

A new antagonistic strain of actinomycete, designated AP19-2, was isolated from the feces of giant pandas inhabiting the Foping National Nature Reserve in China. Cultural characteristic studies strongly suggested that this strain is a member of the genus Streptomyces. The nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of strain AP19-2 evidenced profound similarity (97-99%) with other Streptomyces strains. Two pure active molecules were isolated from a fermentation broth of Streptomyces sp. strain AP19-2 via extraction, concentration, silica gel G column chromatography, and HPLC. The chemical structures of the two related compounds (referred to as chromomycin A2 and chromomycin A3) were established on the basis of their Infrared spectra (IR), High Resolution Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data, and by comparison with published data.

Hygroscopic Behavior of Ammonium Sulfate, Ammonium Nitrate, and their Mixture Particles

Li Wu,Xue Li,노철언 한국대기환경학회 2019 Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment (AJAE) Vol.13 No.3

Inorganic species such as ammonium sulfate (AS) and ammonium nitrate (AN), which significantly affect air quality, visibility degradation, and climate change, occupy 20-50% among ambient fine aerosol mass. In the present study, laboratory generated, micrometer sized, pure AS, AN, and AS-AN mixture aerosol particles at 9 mixing ratios (mole fraction of AS, XAS=0.02, 0.035, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.28, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.8) were examined systematically to observe their hygroscopic behavior, to derive experimental phase diagrams for efflorescence and deliquescence, and to obtain chemical micro-structures using in-situ Raman microspectrometry (RMS). All the nebulized AS-AN mixture particles experienced only one-stage efflorescence at 15-40% relative humidity (RH) during dehydration process, revealing that all the compounds in the particles crystallized nearly simultaneously. Nebulized AS-AN mixture particles of eutonic composition (XAS=0.035) showed singlestage transition at a mutual deliquescence relative humidity (MDRH) of 63.6%, whereas the others exhibited two-stage deliquescence transitions during humidification process, i.e., the eutonic component dissolved at MDRH, and the remainder in the solid phase dissolved completely at their DRHs, resulting in a phase diagram composed of four different phases, as predicted thermodynamically. The measured MDRH and second DRHs of mixture particles with mixing ratios of 0.035<XAS<0.33 are either higher or lower than the theoretical values, while only the experimental second DRHs of mixture particles with mixing ratios of XAS>0.33 are higher than the theoretical values calculated from E-AIM model, which might be due to the variations of crystal formation when the efflorescence occurred. As reported previously, AS and AN mixture droplets can crystallize as the mixture of pure crystal and stable and/or metastable double salts (2AN·AS and/or 3AN·AS, respectively) and the degree of metastability might differ under different conditions. Our results also indicate that the AS-AN mixture particles can crystallize into different forms, leading to diverse MDRHs and DRHs than the theoretical ones, which can promote their capability of probable heterogeneous chemistry on the aqueous aerosol surface.

Lipids, Anthropometric Measures, Smoking and Physical Activity Mediate the Causal Pathway From Education to Breast Cancer in Women: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Hongkai Li,Lei Hou,Yuanyuan Yu,Xiaoru Sun,Xinhui Liu,Yifan Yu,Sijia Wu,Yina He,Yutong Wu,Li He,Fuzhong Xue 한국유방암학회 2021 Journal of breast cancer Vol.24 No.6

Purpose: We aimed to investigate whether obtaining a higher level of education was causally associated with lower breast cancer risk and to identify the causal mechanism linking them. Methods: The main data analysis used publicly available summary-level data from 2 large genome-wide association study consortia. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis used 65 genetic variants derived from the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium as instrumental variables for years of schooling. The outcomes from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) were the overall breast cancer risk (122,977 cases/105,974 controls in women) and the two subtypes: estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer and ER-negative breast cancer. Fixed and random effects inverse variance weighted methods were used to estimate the causal effects, along with other additional MR methods for sensitivity analyses. Results: Results showed that each additional standard deviation of 4.2 years of education was causally associated with a 27% lower risk of ER-negative breast cancer (odds ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.64–0.84; p-value < 0.001). This finding was consistent with the results of the sensitivity analyses. Physical activities can help improve the protective effect of education against breast cancer, with relatively large mediation proportions. Education increases the risk of ER-positive breast cancer due to alterations in high-density lipoprotein level, triglyceride level, height, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, and smoking status, with relative medium mediation proportions. Other mediators including low-density lipoprotein, hip circumference, number of cigarettes smoked per day, time spent performing light physical activity, and performing vigorous physical activity for > 10 minutes explain a small part of the causal effect of education on the risk of developing breast cancer, and their mediation proportion is approximately 1%. Conclusion: A low level of education is a causal risk factor in the development of breast cancer as it is associated with poor lipid profile, obesity, smoking, and types of physical activity.

Selection of Reference Genes for Real-time Quantitative PCR Normalization in the Process of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici Infecting Wheat

Xie, Li-hua,Quan, Xin,Zhang, Jie,Yang, Yan-yan,Sun, Run-hong,Xia, Ming-cong,Xue, Bao-guo,Wu, Chao,Han, Xiao-yun,Xue, Ya-nan,Yang, Li-rong The Korean Society of Plant Pathology 2019 Plant Pathology Journal Vol.35 No.1

Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici is a soil borne pathogenic fungus associated with wheat roots. The accurate quantification of gene expression during the process of infection might be helpful to understand the pathogenic molecular mechanism. However, this method requires suitable reference genes for transcript normalization. In this study, nine candidate reference genes were chosen, and the specificity of the primers were investigated by melting curves of PCR products. The expression stability of these nine candidates was determined with three programs-geNorm, Norm Finder, and Best Keeper. $TUB{\beta}$ was identified as the most stable reference gene. Furthermore, the exopolygalacturonase gene (ExoPG) was selected to verify the reliability of $TUB{\beta}$ expression. The expression profile of ExoPG assessed using $TUB{\beta}$ agreed with the results of digital gene expression analysis by RNA-Seq. This study is the first systematic exploration of the optimal reference genes in the infection process of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici.

Effect of Sn on Plastic Deformation Ability of Fe–Si–B–P–Sn bulk Metallic Glasses

Xiaoyu Wu,Xining Li,Xue Li,Shengli Li 대한금속·재료학회 2023 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.29 No.12

Fe-based bulk metallic glasses have the advantages of high strength and low coercivity. However, their plastic deformationability is negligible. Therefore, in this study, Sn was added to a Fe–Si–B–P bulk metallic glass matrix to study its influence onthe formation and plastic deformation ability of Fe–Si–B–P bulk metallic glasses. The results showed that the mixing enthalpyof Sn was less than that of Fe and other metal-like atoms, which caused Sn atoms to separate from Si-, B- and P-centeredclusters, resulting in metal-like clusters not occupying adjacent positions and the voids between clusters being occupied bySn atoms. With increasing Sn, the metal-metal bonds of the linked clusters increased and the macroscopic performance wasmanifested in an improvement in the plastic deformation ability. With 0.3 at% Sn addition, the alloy system showed the bestplastic deformation ability increasing from 0.7 to 2.2% and the yield strength of 3150 MPa.

Disruption of endothelial barrier function is linked with hyposecretion and lymphocytic infiltration in salivary glands of Sjögren's syndrome

Cong, Xin,Zhang, Xue-Ming,Zhang, Yan,Wei, Tai,He, Qi-Hua,Zhang, Li-Wei,Hua, Hong,Lee, Sang-Woo,Park, Kyungpyo,Yu, Guang-Yan,Wu, Li-Ling Elsevier 2018 Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular basis of Vol.1864 No.10

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes hyposecretion in salivary glands. Endothelial tight junctions (TJs) play crucial roles in salivation and barrier function of blood vessels. However, whether the alteration of endothelial TJs were involved in pathogenesis of SS was still unknown. Here, the ultrastructure and function of endothelial TJs in submandibular glands (SMGs) were detected by transmission electron microscopy and in vivo paracellular permeability assay in different aged NOD mouse model for SS. CFSE-labeled lymphocytes were injected into tail vein to trace the infiltration, while claudin-5 expression and distribution were detected by immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and western blot. Results showed that the stimulated salivary flow rate was gradually decreased and lymphocytic infiltration was found as age increased in 12- and 21-week-old NOD mice, but not 7-week-old NOD mice. Blood vessels were dilated, while endothelial TJ width and paracellular tracer transport were increased in 12-week-old NOD mice. Moreover, the injected CFSE-labeled lymphocytes were observed in SMGs of 12-week-old NOD mice. Claudin-5 level was increased and relocalized from the apical portion of neighboring endothelial cells to lateral membranes and cytoplasm in 12-week-old NOD mice. Additionally, the alteration of claudin-5 expression and distribution was further confirmed in labial salivary glands and bilateral parotid glands from SS patients. In cultured human microvessel endothelial cell line (HMEC-1), IFN-γ stimulation significantly increased claudin-5 expression. Taken together, we identified that the endothelial TJ barrier was disrupted and contributed to the development of salivary hyposecretion and lymphocytic infiltration in SS.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Endothelial tight junction barrier is disrupted in hyposecretory submandibular glands from Sjögren's syndrome mouse model </LI> <LI> The disrupted salivary endothelial barrier is linked with lymphocytic infiltration in Sjögren's syndrome mouse model </LI> <LI> The redistribution of claudin-5 is responsible for disrupted endothelial barrier in salivary glands from Sjögren's syndrome </LI> </UL> </P>