Serum Levels of the Inflammatory Cytokines in Patients with Lumbar Radicular Pain Due to Disc Herniation

Bo Zu,Hong Pan,Xiao-Jun Zhang,Zong-Sheng Yin 대한척추외과학회 2016 Asian Spine Journal Vol.10 No.5

Study Design: Cohort study. Purpose: This study primarily aimed to evaluate the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-4 in patients with lumbar radiculopathy 1 and 12 months after microdiscectomy. Overview of Literature: Lumbar radiculopathy is possibly caused by inflammatory changes in the nerve root. The intraneural application of pro-inflammatory cytokines induces behavioral signs associated with pain. Anti-inflammatory cytokine treatment effectively reduces hyperalgesia. Methods: The role of TNF-α and IL-4 in long-lasting lumbar radiculopathy was addressed. A total of 262 patients were recruited from Anqing Hospital, Anhui Medical University. During inclusion at 1 and 12 months, serum concentrations of TNF-α and IL-4 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and pain intensity was reported on a 0–10 cm visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Sixty six patients had VAS <3 and 196 patients had VAS ≥3. Serum concentrations of pro-inflammatory TNF-α and antiinflammatory IL-4 in patients with lumbar radiculopathy related to disc herniation were measured at 1- and 12-month follow-up. TNF-α decreased in both VAS groups with time. In contrast, IL-4 increased in both groups at 1 month and then decreased gradually until month 12. The changes in serum levels of TNF-α and IL-4 over time between the VAS ≥3 and VAS <3 groups were significantly different. Conclusions: Chronic lumbar radiculopathy may be associated with high level of pro-inflammatory substances, such as TNF-α, in serum after disc herniation, and elevated anti-inflammatory cytokine in patients with lumbar radiculopathy may indicate a favorable outcome.

Multi-objective path planning for mobile robot in nuclear accident environment based on improved ant colony optimization with modified A∗

Zhang De,Luo Run,Yin Ye-bo,Zou Shu-liang 한국원자력학회 2023 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.55 No.5

This paper presents a hybrid algorithm to solve the multi-objective path planning (MOPP) problem for mobile robots in a static nuclear accident environment. The proposed algorithm mimics a real nuclear accident site by modeling the environment with a two-layer cost grid map based on geometric modeling and Monte Carlo calculations. The proposed algorithm consists of two steps. The first step optimizes a path by the hybridization of improved ant colony optimization algorithm-modified A* (IACO-A*) that minimizes path length, cumulative radiation dose and energy consumption. The second module is the high radiation dose rate avoidance strategy integrated with the IACO-A* algorithm, which will work when the mobile robots sense the lethal radiation dose rate, avoiding radioactive sources with high dose levels. Simulations have been performed under environments of different complexity to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm, and the results show that IACO-A* has better path quality than ACO and IACO. In addition, a study comparing the proposed IACO-A* algorithm and recent path planning (PP) methods in three scenarios has been performed. The simulation results show that the proposed IACO-A* algorithm is obviously superior in terms of stability and minimization the total cost of MOPP

On Efficient Processing of Continuous Reverse Skyline Queries in Wireless Sensor Networks

( Bo Yin ),( Siwang Zhou ),( Shiwen Zhang ),( Ke Gu ),( Fei Yu ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2017 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.11 No.4

The reverse skyline query plays an important role in information searching applications. This paper deals with continuous reverse skyline queries in sensor networks, which retrieves reverse skylines as well as the set of nodes that reported them for continuous sampling epochs. Designing an energy-efficient approach to answer continuous reverse skyline queries is non-trivial because the reverse skyline query is not decomposable and a huge number of unqualified nodes need to report their sensor readings. In this paper, we develop a new algorithm that avoids transmission of updates from nodes that cannot influence the reverse skyline. We propose a data mapping scheme to estimate sensor readings and determine their dominance relationships without having to know the true values. We also theoretically analyze the properties for reverse skyline computation, and propose efficient pruning techniques while guaranteeing the correctness of the answer. An extensive experimental evaluation demonstrates the efficiency of our approach.

Upregulation of HIF-1α by Hypoxia Protect Neuroblastoma Cells from Apoptosis by Promoting Survivin Expression

Zhang, Bo,Yin, Cui-Ping,Zhao, Qian,Yue, Shou-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.19

Apoptosis is one of main types of neural cell death and is reversible and is a major target of therapeutic interventions. However, detailed apoptotic cascades still need to be recognized. In present study, we determined the promotion of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and survivin in brain samples of a mouse model of hypoxic-ischemia and in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells post hypoxia treatment. Then gain-of-function and loss-of-function strategies were adopted to manipulate the HIF-$1{\alpha}$ in SH-SY5Y cells, and hypoxia-induced survivin upregulation and cell apoptosis were determined. Results demonstrated that the HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and survivin were significantly promoted in a mouse model of hypoxic-ischemia or in SH-SY5Y cells post hypoxia in vitro. Manually upregulated HIF-$1{\alpha}$ could promote the hypoxia-induced survivin upregulation and improve the hypoxia-induced SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis. On the other hand, the HIF-$1{\alpha}$ knockdown by RNAi reduced the hypoxia-induced survivin upregulation and cell apoptosis. Therefore, the present study confirmed the protective role of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and survivin in the hypoxia-induced SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis, and the survivin upregulation by hypoxia is HIF-$1{\alpha}$-dependent. Promotion of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and survivin might be a valuable stragegy for therapeutic intervention for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Whole-liver Radiotherapy Concurrent with Chemotherapy as a Palliative Treatment for Colorectal Patients with Massive and Multiple Liver Metastases: a Retrospective Study

Yin, Hang,Lu, Kai,Qiao, Wen-Bo,Zhang, Hai-Yang,Sun, Di,You, Qing-Shan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.4

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether whole-liver radiotherapy plus a tumor-boost dose with concurrent chemotherapy is beneficial for colorectal cancer patients with massive and multiple liver metastases. From January 2007 to December 2012, 19 patients who exhibited massive (with a longest diameter > 5 cm) and invasive liver metastases and multiple metastases were treated with radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy. The total radiation dose was 53.4 Gy (range 38.8 Gy-66.3 Gy). All of the patients received a continuous intravenous dose of 5 fluorouracil (5-FU) 225 mg/m2 concurrently with radiation. The median survival time was 19 months. The 1- and 2- year overall survival rates were 78.3% and 14.3%, respectively. Of all of the patients who presented with abdominal pain, 100% experienced a decrease in pain. Decreases in the rates of ascites and jaundice were confirmed by ultrasound and bilirubin levels. No cases of Grade 4 or 5 acute or late toxicity were recorded. There were only two cases of Grade 3 toxicity (elevated bilirubin). These data provide evidence that whole-liver radiotherapy plus a tumor-boost dose with concurrent chemotherapy is beneficial for colorectal cancer patients with massive and multiple liver metastases.

The electrocatalysis of Mn-Co3O4/CeO2@C particles with different Ce content modified Ti/PbO2 anode and its application for copper electrodeposition

Yin Zihang,He Ruibo,Nie Fei,Wei Zhen,Jia Bo,Feng Qing,Fu Xiaolong,Zhang Wenyan 한국화학공학회 2023 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.40 No.12

The oxygen evolution kinetics of industrial copper electrodeposition is slow, resulting in low electrocatalytic activity and high energy consumption. In this work, a quaternary composite of carbon coated active particles containing Mn, Co and Ce were prepared (Mn-Co3O4/CeO2@C), and Ti/Sb-SnO2/PbO2 electrode doped with these active particles was prepared by co-electrodeposition. The microstructure and chemical composition of the electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Tafel polarization curve (Tafel) were used to study the electrochemical properties of anode materials. The results showed that the doping of Mn-Co3O4/CeO2@C active particles promoted the crystal transition of PbO2, decreased the average grain size, and the doping of Ce increases the average valence state of Co. The modified titanium electrode showed excellent catalytic activity of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) characteristics. The overpotential of the doped Ti/Sb-SnO2/PbO2 anode was only 453 mV when the current density was 20 mA cm−2 in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution, which is 508 mV lower than that of the undoped Ti/Sb-SnO2/PbO2 anode. In simulated copper electro-deposition experiments, the cell voltage was reduced by about 400 mV, compared to the undoped Ti/Sb-SnO2/PbO2 electrode.

A Study on Major Factors Influencing Dry Cutting Temperature of AISI 304 Stainless Steel

Hui-Bo He,Hua-Ying Li,Jun Yang,Xian-Yin Zhang,Qi-Bin Yue,Xue Jiang,류성기 한국정밀공학회 2017 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.18 No.10

TiN coated and uncoated tools were used to conduct the dry cutting temperatures for AISI 304 stainless steel. Effects of cutting variables on cutting temperatures were investigated using single factor experiment method. The optimal cutting parameters of cutting temperatures were obtained through orthogonal experiment method. The forming process and temperature distribution of chips were analyzed using finite element method (FEM). The results show that cutting temperature generally increases with the increase of cutting speed and feed rate. When depth of cut increases at the range of 0.8-1.5 mm, the cutting temperature increases firstly and decreases subsequently. And the cutting temperature of TiN coated tool is lower than that of uncoated tool. The optimal parameters of cutting temperature are obtained by orthogonal experiment, which is A1B1C3. The highest temperature appears on the second deformation zone by the simulation.

Differential pathways for calcium influx activated by concanavalin A and CD3 stimulation in Jurkat T cells.

Pang, Bo,Shin, Dong Hoon,Park, Kyung Sun,Huh, Yun Jeong,Woo, Joohan,Zhang, Yin-Hua,Kang, Tong Mook,Lee, Ki-Young,Kim, Sung Joon Springer-Verlag 2012 Pfl ugers Arch Vol.463 No.2

<P>Sustained increase in [Ca(2+)](c) (δ[Ca(2+)](c)) is a critical early signal from T-cell receptor (TCR/CD3). In general, Ca(2+)-release activated Ca(2+) channels (CRAC) are responsible for the Ca(2+) influx and δ[Ca(2+)](c) after TCR/CD3 stimulation. However, T cells also express Ca(2+)-permeable nonselective cation channels such as TRPM2 and TRPC. Gd(3+) is a relatively selective blocker for CRAC at micromolar concentrations. Here, Jurkat T cells were used to investigate the Gd(3+)-resistant Ca(2+) influx (δ[Ca(2+)](c,Gd)) induced by concanavalin A (ConA, 1?μg/ml), a widely used mitogenic agent for T cells, or by anti-CD3 Ab (αCD3). αCD3-induced δ[Ca(2+)](c) was partly (~60%) inhibited by 1?μM Gd(3+) while thapsigargin-induced δ[Ca(2+)] was almost completely abolished. ConA-induced δ[Ca(2+)] was mostly inhibited by 1?μM Gd(3+) during the early phase (<30?s of ConA application) and became resistant during the late phase (>2?min). Induction of δ[Ca(2+)](c,Gd) by αCD3 and ConA was inhibited by 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) and by N-(p-amylcinnamoyl) anthranilic acid, indicating that TRPM2 and TRPC are involved in this process. Treatment with Pyr-3, a TRPC3-specific inhibitor, potently suppressed δ[Ca(2+)](c,Gd) by αCD3 (IC(50), 0.16?μM). Patch clamp experiments demonstrated that the TRPM2 channels were activated by ConA, and the TRPC-like channels were activated by αCD3. Our present study suggests that TRPM2 and TRPC3 are activated by ConA and TCR/CD3, respectively, in Jurkat T cells and are responsible for the induction of δ[Ca(2+)](c,Gd).</P>

Robust control design for active suspension system with uncertain dynamics and actuator time delay

Yunbao Yin,Bo Luo,Hongbin Ren,Qiang Fang,Chunsheng Zhang 대한기계학회 2022 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.36 No.12

The control performance of the vehicle will degrade due to the uncertain dynamics between the mathematical nominal plant description and the actual physical system. A robust control scheme is designed for an active suspension system so as to improve the system control performance. In the design of a robust control scheme, the real parametric uncertainties, as well as the structural uncertainty and time delay of the actuator, are taken into account, which is more realistic than the traditional control methods. Robustness performance and stability of the system are investigated and discussed in the paper. The μ synthesis controller is designed and compared with the H∞ control algorithm as well as the traditional passive suspension system. The control performance is validate under two typical road excitation conditions including the random road and the speed bump road. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes compared to a H∞ approach.

Serum Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor as a Biomarker of Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Zhong-bo Shang,Jun Wang,Shou-gang Kuai,Yin-yin Zhang,Qin-fang Ou,Hao Pei,Li Hua Huang 대한진단검사의학회 2018 Annals of Laboratory Medicine Vol.38 No.1

Background: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pro-inflammatory cytokine with chemokine-like functions, has been shown to play a central role in several acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. However, limited information is available regarding the use of MIF as an inflammatory pathway marker in patients with tuberculosis. This study aimed to investigate the association of MIF with IFN-γ and TNF-α in active pulmonary tuberculosis (APTB) following anti-tuberculosis treatment. Methods: The MIF, TNF-α, and IFN-γ serum levels were determined in 47 patients with APTB by cytokine-specific ELISA at four phases: prior to anti-tuberculosis drug treatment (baseline), and following 2, 4, and 6 months of treatment. In addition, we measured the MIF, TNF-α, and IFN-γ serum levels in 50 health controls. Results: MIF serum levels were significantly elevated (P<0.05) in patients with APTB prior to treatment compared with that in control subjects, and TNF-α ≥449.7 pg/mL was associated with high MIF levels (≥13.1 ng/mL). MIF levels were significantly reduced (P<0.01) following 2, 4, and 6 months of treatment, with variations in TNF-α and IFN-γ serum levels. MIF levels were positively correlated with the paired TNF-α level at baseline (r=0.1103, P=0.0316) and following 6 months of treatment (r=0.09569, P=0.0364).Conclusions: A reduction in the MIF serum levels in patients with APTB following anti-tuberculosis treatment may positively affect host immune protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Thus, serum MIF levels may constitute a useful marker for assessing therapy effectiveness in patients with APTB.