Influence of Intravenous Contrast Medium on Dose Calculation Using CT in Treatment Planning for Oesophageal Cancer

Li, Hong-Sheng,Chen, Jin-Hu,Zhang, Wei,Shang, Dong-Ping,Li, Bao-Sheng,Sun, Tao,Lin, Xiu-Tong,Yin, Yong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.3

Objective: To evaluate the effect of intravenous contrast on dose calculation in radiation treatment planning for oesophageal cancer. Methods: A total of 22 intravein-contrasted patients with oesophageal cancer were included. The Hounsfield unit (HU) value of the enhanced blood stream in thoracic great vessels and heart was overridden with 45 HU to simulate the non-contrast CT image, and 145 HU, 245 HU, 345 HU, and 445 HU to model the different contrast-enhanced scenarios. 1000 HU and -1000 HU were used to evaluate two non-physiologic extreme scenarios. Variation in dose distribution of the different scenarios was calculated to quantify the effect of contrast enhancement. Results: In the contrast-enhanced scenarios, the mean variation in dose for planning target volume (PTV) was less than 1.0%, and those for the total lung and spinal cord were less than 0.5%. When the HU value of the blood stream exceeded 245 the average variation exceeded 1.0% for the heart V40. In the non-physiologic extreme scenarios, the dose variation of PTV was less than 1.0%, while the dose calculations of the organs at risk were greater than 2.0%. Conclusions: The use of contrast agent does not significantly influence dose calculation of PTV, lung and spinal cord. However, it does have influence on dose accuracy for heart.

The NAD(P)H: Quinine Oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) Gene 609 C>T Polymorphism is Associated with Gastric Cancer Risk: Evidence from a Case-control Study and a Meta-analysis

Hu, Wei-Guo,Hu, Jia-Jia,Cai, Wei,Zheng, Min-Hua,Zang, Lu,Wang, Zheng-Ting,Zhu, Zheng-Gang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.5

The association between the NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) gene C609T polymorphism (rs1800566) and gastric cancer has been widely evaluated, but a definitive answer is so far lacking. We first conducted a case-control study to assess this association in a large Han Chinese population, and then performed a meta-analysis to further address this issue. Although our case-control association study indicated no significant difference in the genotype and allele distributions of C609T polymorphism between gastric cancer patients and controls, in the meta analysis involving 4,000 subjects, comparison of alleles 609T and 609C indicated a significantly increased risk (46%) for gastric cancer (95% confidence interval (95%CI) for odds ratio (OR)=1.20-1.79) in individuals with the T allele. The tendency was similar to the homozygote (OR=1.81, 95%CI: 1.16-2.84), dominant models (OR=1.41, 95%CI: 1.12-1.79), as well as recessive model (OR=1.58, 95%CI: 1.06-2.35). Stratified analysis by study design demonstrated stronger associations in population-based than in hospital-based studies. And ethnicity-based analysis demonstrated a significant association in Asians. We conclude that the NQO1 gene C609T polymorphism increases the risk for gastric cancer, especially in Asian populations.

앱 아이콘의 시각적 수사기법 응용 분석 - 중국 쇼트 비디오/라이브 앱을 중심으로 -

호위위 ( Hu Wei Wei ),박용진 ( Park Yong Jin ) 한국기초조형학회 2021 기초조형학연구 Vol.22 No.6

현재 인터넷 기술이 빠르게 발전하는 환경에서 각종 쇼트 비디오/라이브 앱이 대량으로 등장하면서 갈수록 앱 아이콘 디자인의 동질화가 심화되고 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 쇼트 비디오/라이브 앱 아이콘의 디자인 요소와 시각적 수사기법에 대한 분석을 통해 앱 아이콘의 시각적 수사기법의 응용과 현재 앱 아이콘의 디자인 규칙을 고찰하며, 이를 통해 아이콘 디자인에 대한 다양한 사고를 제공하기 위한 것이다. 연구 방법은 앱 아이콘의 디자인 요소를 분석하고, 또한 쇼트 비디오/라이브 앱 아이콘에서 나타나는 시각적 수사기법에 대해 시각 디자인 전공자 5명의 설문 조사를 진행하여 이에 비유법 중 은유, 직유, 환유, 의인이 주로 표현된 시각적 수사기법을 도출한다. 디자인 요소와 시각적 수사기법의 두 가지 측면을 결합하여 앱 아이콘의 시각적 수사기법 응용과 시각 표현을 분석하였다. 연구 범위는 2020년 상반기 해외 앱스토어와 구글플레이 다운로드 순위 TOP20의 중국 쇼트 비디오/라이브 앱을 조사 대상으로 하였다. 연구 결과 쇼트 비디오/라이브 앱 아이콘은 특성에 따라 디자인 형식이 다르게 나타났다. 디자인 요소 중에서 쇼트 라이브 앱은 기하학 도형과 기능 도형에서 추출한 요소를 많이 사용하고, 라이브 앱은 동물 캐릭터 요소와 기능 도형에서 추출한 요소를 주로 사용하였다. 또한 시각적 수사기법의 관점에서 볼 때 쇼트 비디오 앱은 은유와 직유를 많이 사용하고, 라이브 앱은 의인화와 직유를 주로 사용하였다. 쇼트 비디오/라이브 앱 아이콘에서 발견된 공통점은 기능 도형에서 추출한 요소에 직유를 적용한 시각적 수사기법을 사용하고, 현재 범용성이 강한 아이콘이 주요 디자인 형식을 사용했다는 것이다. 차이점은 쇼트 비디오 앱은 주로 기하학 도형을 은유적으로 사용하여 아이콘을 디자인하고, 라이브 앱은 동물 캐릭터 아이콘을 의인화하여 해당 앱의 활력과 분위기를 전달한다는 것이다. As the internet technology is developing rapidly, various short videos/livestreaming APPs have appeared. Therefore, the homogenization of APP icon design is increasingly severe. The research purpose is to explore how to apply visual rhetorical devices of APP icons and visual presentation of the APP icon design, with the method of analyzing the design elements and visual rhetorical devices of short videos/livestreaming APP icons. It aims to provide multi-perspective thinking manners for icon design. The research method is to analyze the design elements of the APP icons and distribute questionnaires to five visual designers about the rhetorical device performance in short videos/livestreaming APP icons. It summarizes the main visual rhetorical devices (metaphor, simile, metonymy and personification) and combines two aspects (design element and visual rhetorical device) to analyze the application of visual rhetorical devices and visual performances of APP icons. The research scope is the top 20 short videos/livestreaming APP icons in the downloads of the foreign App Store and Google Play in China in the first half of 2020. Research results show that different APPs have different characteristics and the design forms are also different; among the design elements of short videos/livestreaming APP icons, most short video APPs extract geometric graphs and functional patterns. Most livestreaming APPs extract animal cartoons and functional patterns. In terms of visual rhetorical devices, most short video APPs use metaphors and similes; most livestreaming APPs use simile and personification. The similarity is that the extraction of functional patterns adopts the visual rhetorical device of simile; the general icon is the main design form of icons. The difference is that the short videos mainly metaphorically use geometric graphs, thus endowing the icon with a stronger sense of design. Livestreaming mainly uses the personified animal cartoon icons to show the vitality and atmosphere of the livestreaming APPs.

Clinicopathologic and Prognostic Significance of the Zinc Finger of the Cerebellum Family in Invasive Breast Cancer

Wei Han,Cong Zhang,Xiao-jiao Gao,Hua-bing Wang,Fang Chen,Fang Cao,Yong-wei Hu,Jun Ma,Xing Gu,Hou-zhong Ding 한국유방암학회 2018 Journal of breast cancer Vol.21 No.1

Purpose: Five members of the zinc finger of the cerebellum (ZIC) family—ZIC1, ZIC2, ZIC3, ZIC4, and ZIC5—have been shown to be involved in various carcinomas. Here, we aimed to explore the clinicopathologic and prognostic roles of ZIC family members in invasive breast cancer patients using immunohistochemical analysis, western blotting analysis, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Methods: A total of 241 female invasive breast cancer patients who underwent radical mastectomy between 2009 and 2011 were enrolled. ZIC proteins in 241 pairs of breast tumors and corresponding normal tissues were investigated using immunohistochemistry and the clinicopathologic roles of proteins were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis were also used to analyze the prognostic value of the ZIC proteins. In addition, 12 pairs of fresh-frozen breast tumors and matched normal tissues were used in the western blotting analysis and RT-qPCR. Results: Only ZIC1 expression in normal tissues was obviously higher than that in tumors (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, ZIC1 expression (in overall survival analysis: hazard ratio [HR], 0.405, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.233–0.702, p=0.001; in disease-free survival analysis: HR, 0.395, 95% CI, 0.234–0.669, p=0.001) was identified as a prognostic indicator of invasive breast cancer. Conclusion: ZIC1, but not the other proteins, was obviously decreased in breast tumors and associated with clinicopathologic factors. Thus, ZIC1 might be a novel indicator to predict the overall and disease-free survival of invasive breast cancer patients.

Environmental Microbiology/Microbial Diversity : Investigation of the Properties of Sand Tubules, a Biomineralization Product, and their Microbial Community

( Wei Lian Hu ),( Dehui Dai ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2016 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.26 No.2

Sand tubules, made up of sand grains cemented by microbe-induced calcium carbonate precipitation, have been found in China``s Ningxia Province. Sand tubules grow like a tree``s roots about 40-60 cm below the surface. The properties of sand tubules and their bacterial community were examined. X-Ray diffraction analysis revealed that the sand tubules were associated with crystalline calcite. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the crystalline solid had a lamellar structure and lacked the presence of cells, suggesting that no bacteria acted as nucleation sites, nor that the crystalline solid was formed by the aggregation of bacteria. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed 11 of the 12 detectable bands were uncultured bacteria by BLAST analysis in the GenBank database, and the rest were closely related to Paenibacillus sp. (100% identity). By cultivation techniques, the only strain isolated from the sand tubule was suggested to be related to Paenibacillus sp.; no archaea were found. Furthermore, Paenibacillus sp. was demonstrated to induce calcium carbonate precipitation in vitro.

Biotransformation of Panax ginseng extract by rat intestinal microflora

Wei-Wei Dong,Jinhua Zhao,Fei-Liang Zhong,Wen-Jing Zhu,Jun Jiang,Songquan Wu,Deok-Chun Yang,Donghao Li,Lin-Hu Quan 고려인삼학회 2017 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.41 No.4

Background: In general, after Panax ginseng is administered orally, intestinal microbes play a crucial role in its degradation and metabolization process. Studies on the metabolism of P. ginseng by microflora are important for obtaining a better understanding of their biological effects. Methods: In vitro biotransformation of P. ginseng extract by rat intestinal microflora was investigated at 37C for 24 h, and the simultaneous determination of the metabolites and metabolic profile of P. ginseng saponins by rat intestinal microflora was achieved using LCeMS/MS. Results: A total of seven ginsenosides were detected in the P. ginseng extract, including ginsenosides Rg1, Re, Rf, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, and Rd. In the transformed P. ginseng samples, considerable amounts of deglycosylated metabolite compound K and Rh1 were detected. In addition, minimal amounts of deglycosylated metabolites (ginsenosides Rg2, F1, F2, Rg3, and protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides) and untransformed ginsenosides Re, Rg1, and Rd were detected at 24 h. The results indicated that the primary metabolites are compound K and Rh1, and the protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides were more easily metabolized than protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides. Conclusion: This is the first report of the identification and quantification of the metabolism and metabolic profile of P. ginseng extract in rat intestinal microflora using LCeMS/MS. The current study provided new insights for studying the metabolism and active metabolites of P. ginseng.

Thixotropy Induced Variation in Viscous Resistance of Experimentally Sheared Mudstone Granules

( Wei Hu ),( Qiang Xu ),( Gonghui Wang ),( Mauri Mcsaveney ) 대한지질공학회 2019 대한지질공학회 학술발표회논문집 Vol.2019 No.2

The determination of residual resistance of the landslide sliding surface is of paramount importance in landslide mechanics, as sliding surface controls the stress drop, the mechanical work. In present study, by the use of the ring shear tests, variation of the residual strength of the samples with coarse and fine mudstone particles were s tudied both in dry and saturated s ituation. Not evident variation of residual s trength was observed for the dry coarse particle samples as well as the saturated samples with the fine particles. For the saturated samples with coarse particles, the residual friction coefficient dropped from 0.6 to around 0.1 when the shear velocity speeded up to a certain value (about 2mm/s) and then the residual strength recovered to the original value when the shear velocity decreased to a certain value. These cycles of acceleration with residual strength dropping and deceleration with residual strength recover can continue for a long shear displacement. These variation of the residual strength can also happen with constant shear rate. A conceptual model has been raised to explain this phenomenon by thixotropy of the slurry, resulting from the comminution of grains in the shear zone.

Work-life Conflicts in the AEC Industry - A Comparative Analysis

Hu, Wei,Panthi, Kamalesh Korea Institute of Construction Engineering and Ma 2018 Journal of construction engineering and project ma Vol.8 No.2

The Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry has a culture of long working hours that sometimes extend to weekends. As a result, construction employees find it challenging to achieve a balance between their work and personal lives. It is believed that there is rarely a clear separation between employees' work and personal life in the AEC industry. This paper suggests that in order to attract and retain a talented workforce, AEC organizations have to cater for the diverse needs of employees with regard to work-life balance. This paper presents the results of a survey of both professional and managerial employees' perspective on work-life conflict issues in private and public AEC organizations. Perspectives were found to differ, although not significantly, by employees' experience, leadership experience, age and gender. Furthermore, most survey respondents noted that their employers did not have a policy or program in place supporting work-life balance initiatives. Finally, although the AEC industry is making strides to improve work-life balance, the effort is lagging behind other industry sectors in providing policies and programs to promote work-life balance through flexible work hours and various other means.

The bending-shear-torsion performance of prestressed composite box beam

Hu S. Wei,Zhao K. Yu,Wei C. Jie 국제구조공학회 2017 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.62 No.5

To study the mechanical performances of prestressed steel-concrete composite box beam under combination of bending-shear-torsion, nine composite beams with different ratio of torsion to bending were designed. Torsion was applied to the free end of the beam with jacks controlled accurately with peripherals, as well as concentrated force on the mid-span with jacks. Based on experimental data and relative theories, mechanical properties of composite beams were analyzed, including torsional angle, deformation and failure patterns. The results showed that under certain ratio of torsion to bending, cracking and ultimate torsion increased and reached to its maximum at the ratio of 2. Three phases of process is also discussed, as well as the conditions of each failure mode.

Ginkgolide B Modulates BDNF Expression in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Wei, Hu,Sun, Tao,Tian, Yanghua,Wang, Kai The Korean Neurosurgical Society 2017 Journal of Korean neurosurgical society Vol.60 No.4

Objective : To investigate the neuroprotective effects of Ginkgolide B (GB) against ischemic stroke-induced injury in vivo and in vitro, and further explore the possible mechanisms concerned. Methods : Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mice and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-treated N2a cells were used to explore the neuroprotective effects of GB. The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was detected via Western blot and qRT-PCR. Results : GB treatment (4 mg/kg, i. p., bid) significantly reduced neurological deficits, water content, and cerebral infarct volume in tMCAO mice. GB also significantly increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio, reduced the expression of caspase-3, and protected against OGD/R-induced neuronal apoptosis. Meanwhile, GB caused the up-regulation of BDNF protein in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion : Our data suggest that GB might protect the brain against ischemic insult partly via modulating BDNF expression.