Energy Landscape Paving with Local Search for Global Optimization of the BLN Off-lattice Model

Jingfa Liu,Weibo Huang,Wenjie Liu,Yuanyuan Sun,Beibei Song,Mao Chen 한국물리학회 2014 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.64 No.4

The optimization problem for finding the global minimum energy structure is one of the mainproblems of protein structure prediction and is known to be an NP-hard problem in computationalmolecular biology. The low-energy conformational search problem in the hydrophobic-hydrophilicneutral(BLN) off-lattice model is studied. We convert the problem into an unconstrained optimizationproblem by introducing the penalty function. By putting forward a new updating mechanismof the histogram function in the energy landscape paving (ELP) method and incorporating heuristicconformation update strategies into the ELP method, we obtain an improved ELP (IELP) method. Subsequently, by combining the IELP method with the local search (LS) based on the gradient descentmethod, we propose a hybrid algorithm, denoted by IELP-LS, for the conformational searchof the off-lattice BLN model. Simulation results indicate that IELP-LS can find lower-energy statesthan other methods in the literature, showing that the proposed method is an effective tool forglobal optimization in the BLN off-lattice protein model.

Physiological and biochemical characterization of sheepgrass (Leymus chinensis) reveals insights into photosynthetic apparatus coping with low-phosphate stress conditions

Lingyu Li,Haomeng Yang,Weibo Ren,Bei Liu,Dongmei Cheng,Xinhong Wu,Jirui Gong,Lianwei Peng,Fang Huang 한국식물학회 2016 Journal of Plant Biology Vol.59 No.4

Sheepgrass [Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel] is a valuble forage plant highly significant to regional grassland productivity of Euro-Asia steppes. Although effects of environmental stress including drought have been studied, impact of nutrient deficiency in particular phosphate (Pi), one of the essential macronutrient, is not reported. Here, we investigated low-Pi effect on its photosynthetic apparatus via physiological and biochemical analysis. We show that PSII activity was significantly reduced based on chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. We observed decreased amount of core proteins of PSII by immunoblot analysis. Further analysis of thylakoid membranes using 2D-BN/SDS-PAGE and immunoblot detection demonstrated that the amount of PSII complexes was closely correlated with the Pi levels within the range. Together with reduced number of thylakoid grana stackings observed, we suggest that the maintenance of PSII is impaired under Pi-limited condition. Moreover, enzyme activity assays revealed that the activity of several ROS scavenger enzymes was stimulated by low-Pi treatment. Based on these experimental results we conclude that PSII is the component of photosynthetic apparatus most sensitive to Pi supply and the enhanced anti-ROS activity is mainly subjective to protection of PSII against low Pi-induced photo-oxidative stress in the organism.

Violet Laser Acupuncture—Part 1: Effects on Brain Circulation

Gerhard Litscher,Tao Huang,Lu Wang,Weibo Zhang 사단법인약침학회 2010 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.3 No.4

Violet laser acupuncture using a wavelength of 405 nm has been investigated in only a few scientific studies. The aim of this study was to provide selective evidence of a specific effect of violet laser acupuncture on mean cerebral blood flow velocity using a Doppler ultrasound technique. A transcranial Doppler sonography construction was developed especially for this study to monitor blood flow profiles in the basilar and middle cerebral arteries simultaneously and continuously. The acupuncture point Dazhui on the upper back was tested in a controlled study with 10 healthy volunteers (24.9 ± 3.3 years, mean age ± SD; 5 females, 5 males). In addition to an on/off-effect, violet laser stimulation increased the blood flow velocity in the basilar artery significantly (p < 0.001) compared with the reference interval before laser acupuncture. In the middle cerebral artery, only minimal, nonsignificant changes in blood flow velocity were seen. Metal needle acupuncture at the same point intensified the effects; however, blood flow profiles did not change significantly during and after stimulation with a deactivated violet laser.

Modeling and Analysis of an Avionic Battery Discharge Regulator

Chen, Qian,Yu, Haihong,Huang, Xiaoming,Lu, Yi,Qiu, Peng,Tong, Kai,Xuan, Jiazhuo,Xu, Feng,Xuan, Xiaohua,Huang, Weibo,Zhang, Yajing The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2016 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.16 No.3

The avionic battery discharge regulator (BDR) plays an important role in a power-conditioning unit. With its merits of high efficiency, stable transfer function, and continuous input and output currents, the non-isolated Weinberg converter (NIWC) is suitable for avionic BDR. An improved peak current control strategy is proposed to achieve high current-sharing accuracy. Current and voltage regulators are designed based on a small signal model of a three-module NIWC system. The system with the designed regulators operates stably under any condition and achieves excellent transient response and current-sharing accuracy.

Violet Laser Acupuncture—Part 2: Effects on Peripheral Microcirculation

Lu Wang,Tao Huang,Weibo Zhang,Gerhard Litscher 사단법인약침학회 2011 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.4 No.1

Laser Doppler flowmetry for microcirculation monitoring was performed in 10healthy volunteers (mean age ± SD: 24.9 ± 3.3 years; 5 females, 5 males) prior to,during, and after stimulation using a noninvasive violet (405 nm) laser needle at the Dazhui (GV14) acupoint. The results of this controlled study (control point at the shoulder) showed significant (p < 0.05) increases in Flux (product of concentration and velocity of erythrocytes) at a distance of 3 cm from the acupoint. At the same time, no changes were found at the control point. Furthermore, 5 minutes after stimulation the microcirculation still flowed at a higher level than baseline values at the beginning of the investigation. In a single individual it was demonstrated that needle acupuncture enhanced this effect and placebo (deactivated laser) did not have a significant effect. The results suggest that violet laser acupuncture at the acupoint Dazhui can increase vascular effects on microcirculation.

Comparison of Acupuncturing Hegu (LI4) by Metal or Laser Needle on Facial Blood Perfusion Using Laser Speckle Technique

Yuying Tian,Tao Huang,Gerhard Litscher,Lu Wang,Guangjun Wang,Shuyong Jia,Yuqing Zhang,Weibo Zhang 사단법인약침학회 2011 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.4 No.3

Aim: To compare the difference of remote effects of acupuncture between metal needle and laser needle on facial blood perfusion (FBP). Methods: Hand acupuncture and laser-needle acupuncture were randomly used on Hegu (LI4)in 20 healthy volunteers. FBP was observed by speckle contrast imager before, during, and after the acupunctures. Results: For hand acupuncture there were gradual increases on the nose and left and right visor areas (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) during the acupuncture and on an immediate increase (p < 0.01) that remained constant during the acupuncture on the forehead area but no significant increase on mouth area. During laser-needle acupuncture, on the other hand, there was a tendency of increase on the nose, left visor, and right visor areas but these were non significant. Conclusion: Hand acupuncture can influence FBP in remote places connected by meridians.

Modeling and Analysis of an Avionic Battery Discharge Regulator

Qian Chen,Haihong Yu,Xiaoming Huang,Yi Lu,Peng Qiu,Kai Tong,Jiazhuo Xuan,Feng Xu,Xiaohua Xuan,Weibo Huang,Yajing Zhang 전력전자학회 2016 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.16 No.3

The avionic battery discharge regulator (BDR) plays an important role in a power-conditioning unit. With its merits of high efficiency, stable transfer function, and continuous input and output currents, the non-isolated Weinberg converter (NIWC) is suitable for avionic BDR. An improved peak current control strategy is proposed to achieve high current-sharing accuracy. Current and voltage regulators are designed based on a small signal model of a three-module NIWC system. The system with the designed regulators operates stably under any condition and achieves excellent transient response and current-sharing accuracy.

Establishment of the Lunar Phase Morphological Classification for Cervical Spinal Canal

Cui Zhongyi,Wang Hongwei,Sun Yuan,Huang Weibo,Zou Fei,Ma Xiaosheng,Lyu Feizhou,Jiang Jianyuan,Wang Hongli 대한척추외과학회 2024 Asian Spine Journal Vol.18 No.1

Study Design: Retrospective clinical trial.Purpose: To establish a morphological classification of the cervical spinal canal using its parameters.Overview of Literature: Cervical spine computed tomography (CT) data of 200 healthy volunteers in 2 years were analyzed. The morphology of the spinal cord was also analyzed.Methods: The median sagittal diameter and transverse diameter of the spinal canal from C2 to C7 were measured on CT images. The ratio of the median sagittal diameter to the transverse diameter was calculated. Accordingly, the spinal canal shape of each segment was classified into four, and the specific criteria of lunar phase classification were determined through linear discriminant analysis based on the ratio of the median sagittal diameter to the transverse diameter. The inter-rater reliability of the classification was explored using Kappa coefficients. Finally, the morphology of the different segments of the cervical spinal canal in healthy volunteers was revised and compared.Results: According to the ratio of the median sagittal diameter and the transverse diameter of the cervical spinal canal, the lunar phase classification of the cervical bony spinal canal was determined as follows: full-moon >0.65, 0.55< convex-moon ≤0.65, 0.46≤ quarter-moon ≤0.55, and residual-moon <0.46. The Kappa values of C2–C7 were 0.851, 0.958, 0.823, 0.927, 0.793, and 0.946, and the Kappa value of all C2–C7 segments was 0.854 that mainly presented two forms of full-moon (76.5%) and convex-moon (23.0%). A quarter-moon spinal canal was mainly distributed in C3, C4, C5, and C6; a residual-moon spinal canal was mainly distributed in C4 and C5; and the morphological distribution of C4 and C5 were similar (<i>p</i>>0.05). The frequency of the spinal canal of the residual-moon type was the highest, and the full-moon (6.5%) and residual-moon (7.5%) types of C7 were rare.Conclusions: The morphological classification of the cervical spinal canal was established to present anatomical variations. The classification showed good inter-rater reliability.

Violet Laser AcupuncturedPart 3: Pilot Study of Potential Effects on Temperature Distribution

Gerhard Litscher,Lu Wang,Tao Huang,Weibo Zhang 사단법인약침학회 2011 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.4 No.3

Infrared thermography for temperature distribution monitoring was performed in ten healthy volunteers (M/F, 5/5; mean age SD, 24.9 3.3 years) before, during, and after stimulation by noninvasive violet (405 nm) laser needle at the Dazhui (GV14) acupoint. Significant (p < 0.001) increases of temperature at a region of interest around the acupoint were observed. Furthermore, temperature also increased significantly (p < 0.05)at a so-called “far field” area Zhiyang (GV9). In two persons, however, needle acupuncture and placebo (deactivated laser) did not have the same temperature effects. Violet laser induces changes in skin surface temperature distributions.

Radiolabeled polyoxometalate clusters: Kidney dysfunction evaluation and tumor diagnosis by positron emission tomography imaging

Ni, Dalong,Jiang, Dawei,Im, Hyung-Jun,Valdovinos, Hector F.,Yu, Bo,Goel, Shreya,Barnhart, Todd E.,Huang, Peng,Cai, Weibo Elsevier 2018 Biomaterials Vol.171 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Radiolabeled nanoprobes for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has received special attention over the past decade, allowing for sensitive, non-invasive, and quantitative detection of different diseases. The rapidly renal clearable nanomaterials normally suffer from a low accumulation in the tumor through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect due to the rapidly reduced concentration in the blood circulation after renal clearance. It is highly important to design radiolabeled nanomaterials which can meet the balance between the rapid renal clearance and strong EPR effect within a suitable timescale. Herein, renal clearable polyoxometalate (POM) clusters of ultra-small size (∼1 nm in diameter) were readily radiolabeled with the oxophilic <SUP>89</SUP>Zr to obtain <SUP>89</SUP>Zr-POM clusters, which may allow for efficient staging of kidney dysfunction in a murine model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Furthermore, the as-synthesized clusters can accumulate in the tumor through EPR effect and self-assemble into larger nanostructures in the acidic tumor microenvironment for enhanced tumor accumulation, offering an excellent balance between renal clearance and EPR effect.</P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>Herein, renal clearable polyoxometalate clusters (POM) were readily radiolabeled with the oxophilic <SUP>89</SUP>Zr to allow for efficient staging of kidney dysfunction in a murine model. Furthermore, the as-synthesized clusters can accumulate in the tumor through enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and self-assemble into larger nanostructures in the acidic tumor microenvironment for enhanced tumor accumulation, offering an excellent balance between renal clearance and EPR effect.</P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>